Robert Frank Oswald Hurle faces court for crime spree involving stolen utes, attempted ATM thefts and a police pursuit

A crime spree involving stolen vehicles and an attempted ATM theft came to an end after a Toowoomba man, hanging off the tray of a stolen ute that had its tyres spiked, tried to detach a box trailer in an attempt to flee from police.

On the run from police after a wild crime spree across Toowoomba, a stolen ute had its tyres blown out by road spikes in an attempt to bring the pursuit to an end.

Undeterred and unwilling to go quietly, a Toowoomba man climbed from the passenger seat and into the tray to detach a stolen box trailer, causing it to crash into a street light.

The wild pursuit came after Robert Frank Oswald Hurle and a co-offender committed a series of offences across the city in the early hours of July 3, 2022.

About 12.10am the 36-year-old and his accomplice, Warren Lewis Barker broke into a Drayton business, cutting a boundary fence and smashing a glass door to gain access into an office where the pair stole two sets of car keys and two different utes.

Robert Frank Oswald Hurle, 36, appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on October 4 where he pleaded guilty to being involved in a crime spree across the city that ended when police spiked the tyres of the stolen ute he was in.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told about 12.45am the pair attempted to break into an ATM at a Drayton Road shopping centre, with a power tool unsuccessfully used to open the machine.

Just after 1.30am the ute was spotted running and red light driving on the wrong side of the road near Ruthven and Long streets.

The pair then went on to steal a box trailer from a work site about 2.20am, before about 3am police spotted the stolen dual cab ute on Carrington Road.

After failing to stop for police, the court was told a pursuit began, with road spikes used on Bridge Street but the pursuit continued on the ute’s rims east on Bridge Street before Hurle climbed out of the passenger seat of cabin and into the tray of the ute to disconnect the trailer at speeds of about 60km/h.

The court was told police managed to box in the ute, bringing the pursuit to an end.

Hurle appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on October 4 where he pleaded guilty to eight offences, including dangerous operation of a vehicle, enter premises with intent, unlawful use of motor vehicles and wilful damage.

Magistrate Clare Kelly labelled Hurle’s criminal history as “extensive”, and sentenced him to 15 months jail. Declaring 93 days of pre-sentence custody as time served the magistrate made Hurle set a parole release date of December 3. He was also disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for two years.

Hurle’s co-offender was sentenced to 15 months jail for similar offending with a parole release date of December 5 after he faced court on July 4, 2022.

Originally published as Robert Frank Oswald Hurle faces court for crime spree involving stolen utes, attempted ATM thefts and a police pursuit