Adam Christopher Lawson sentenced for stealing vehicles, knife possession, drugs

Weeks after serving time for similar offences, a young Logan father, who justified his actions as a need to ‘get from A to B,’ faced the court again for targeting an Uber delivery driver.

Weeks after serving time for similar offences, a young Logan father, who justified his actions as a need to ‘get from A to B,’ faced the court again for targeting an Uber delivery driver.

A Beenleigh dad’s opportune and “ugly” thieving of vehicles to “to get from A to B” has placed him back behind bars, just months after he was last released from custody.

Adam Christopher Lawson, 20, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place; authority required to possess explosives; failure to appear in accordance with undertaking; unlawfully possess a relevant substance or thing; offence to buy or possess s4 or s8 medicines

or hazardous poisons; possess utensils or pipes etc for use; receiving tainted property; unlawful use of motor vehicles aircraft or vessels – use.

A Police Prosecutor said Lawson was on a suspended sentence for similar offending, when he committed the crimes before the court.

Lawson stole three vehicles including one from an Uber Eats driver on September 19, 2023, while he was mid delivery and another from a woman who left her keys in the car as she went into a shopping centre, the court heard.

“He was previously sentenced for possessing a knife and one month after we gave him that sentence he was found at Beenleigh train station with a knife in his waistband. to repay the favour he is committing the exact same offences,” the Sergeant said.

Lawson’s defence lawyer said he is an “opportunist” who steals cars to get from “A to B”.

“He is young and has a 2-year-old son who he would want to spend Christmas with,” a lawyer said.

“He ran away from home at aged 14 and started using methamphetamines and cannabis at 12, which quickly turned into a habit.

“He accepts how disgusting it is to steal from someone while they were working.

“My submission is for a sentence to be wholly suspended,” he said.

The magistrate described Lawson’s offending as “hideous”.

“You cannot take someone else’s car, it’s a very big investment and he was working … you helped himself to his car but how is he meant to get from A to B?” the magistrate said.

“It is absolutely outrageous and I’m very sad you’re such a young person and if you’re not careful you could spend the rest of you life in custody.

“Waiting around for people to leave keys in their cars is contemptuous.

“Having a suspended sentence hanging over his head clearly isn’t present in his mind,” she said.

Lawson was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with parole eligibility on February 29, 2023.

Convictions were recorded.