Church member, Dwaine Robert King, fronts Beenleigh Magistrates Court on raft of charges

A court has heard what triggered a young Logan man who led a “law-abiding life” for some time to fall back into crime after several “serious”offences.

A court has heard what triggered a young Logan churchgoer who led a “law-abiding life” for some time to turn back to drugs and crime.

Dwaine Robert King, 25, appeared in Beenleigh Magistrates Court via video-link from custody on Tuesday, August 8 and pleaded guilty to more than a dozen charges.

The charges included unlawful entry of a vehicle for committing an indictable offence, wilful damage, dangerous operation of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, stealing, and obstructing a police officer.

The court heard the offences were “serious” – causing several people to suffer loss and damage – and involved, in one instance, a person putting a foot on the brake pedal of a car while another person was driving.

It is understood King’s obstruction of a police officer was also “toward the higher end” of the scale of seriousness.

Defence solicitor Eleanor Meany told the court her client was born in Brisbane and had been surrounded by illicit drug use from an early age.

She said King had abstained from committing crimes for extended periods of time, particularly after joining a church and being baptised.

Things took a turn when he lost his employment due to his criminal history as he reverted back to using drugs and has been in and out of jail ever since.

Dwaine Robert King, 25.

Ms Meany said King had hopes to study business upon his release from custody.

The court heard he received an 18-month jail sentence in June this year for drug possession which was related to the new charges before the court.

King had spent about two months – 276 days – in custody by Tuesday.

Magistrate Ron Kilner took into account a number of factors when deciding an appropriate penalty, including the serious nature of and damage caused by the offending as well as King’s drug addiction and criminal history.

He sentenced the Logan man to a total of 12 months’ imprisonment, with immediate parole release, to run concurrently with the sentence imposed by a Supreme Court in June.

Mr Kilner declared the 276 days King spent in custody time already served under the sentence and disqualified him from driving for two years, six months, and nine months – a total of 39 months.

He also ordered King forfeit all of the property he stole to the Crown.