Townsville father jailed for string of drug, fraud and property offending across NQ

A Townsville father has been jailed after he was busted with a substantial quantity of drugs and nine sets of stolen car keys.

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A TOWNSVILLE man has been jailed for his string of drug, fraud and property offending across North Queensland.

Shannon Darryl McAllister, 37, pleaded guilty to 29 charges in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday.

His string of offending began on February 18 last year and ran for nine-and-a-half months until he was taken into custody in November.

Police prosecutor Jordan Theed said 74 grams of weed as well as cannabis plants and meth was found when the father-of-two’s house was raided.

Nine sets of stolen car keys were also found, and McAllister was also in possession of a 7cm bladed knife.

The court heard McAllister came into possession of a Commonwealth Bank card that he suspected was stolen but continued to use racking up a bill of almost $140 and in a separate occasion he broke into an Ingham business and committed indictable offences.

On August 11, McAllister was busted with 0.1 grams of meth and a quantity of weed, Mr Theed said.

Shannon Darryl McAllister, 37, pleaded guilty to 29 charges in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday, April 12. Photo: Facebook.

McAllister’s solicitor Victoria Twivey said it was his first time in custody and “something he needed” as a means of sobering up and getting off drugs.

Ms Twivey said the former ringer and farm hand was unemployed and on Centrelink when he committed the string of offences in 2020 and needed drug and alcohol counselling.

Magistrate Scott Luxton said McAllister’s most serious offence was the break and enter in Ingham.

He said McAllister was addicted to illicit substances and his property offending was linked to his addiction.

“Your life has spiralled out of control and you engaged in continual offending behaviour,” Mr Luxton said.

McAllister was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for entering premises and committing indictable offences.

For the receiving tainted property charge he was sentenced to six months imprisonment and one month for possessing a knife in a public place.

For the remaining offences, he was sentenced to three months imprisonment.

McAllister was ordered to pay $138.10 in restitution to the Commonwealth Bank for the fraud offences, referred to SPER.

All convictions were recorded.

McAllister was released on parole on Monday having served 136 days in pre-sentence custody.

He will be subject to parole for seven-and-a-half months.

Originally published as Townsville father jailed for string of drug, fraud and property offending across NQ