Mark Rockwell and Aaron Davies: Pair faces court after string of northside shops targeted

A Kallangur burglar didn’t want to break the law by driving unlicensed on his way to break into a string of northside businesses, so he recruited a broke getaway driver instead.

A getaway driver for a persistent north Brisbane thief was allegedly defrauded by a girlfriend, costing him more than $30,000 a court heard.

Aaron Davies, 30, of Kuraby, once had full Australian security classification while working as a sandblaster and painter on government ships but today was in police custody as he faced charges at Pine Rivers Magistrates Court.

Davies was accused of being a getaway driver for jailed Kallangur thief Mark Lawrence Rockwell, who was last week convicted of more than 30 offences relating to break and enters and attempted break and enters of north Brisbane businesses.

Davies pleaded guilty to 13 charges including three enter premises with intent, attempted enter premises with intent, evading police and obtaining or dealing with another entity’s ID information for the commission or facilitation of an indictable offence.

The court heard Davies had previously held down a series of successful jobs including as a sandblaster and painter but things took a turn south when he moved from South Australia to Forest Lake to live with a woman.

According to Davies’ defence, he and the woman had decided to open a self-managed super fund account but after Davies transferred $32,000 from his own super account the woman allegedly pocketed the money and disappeared.

The court heard Davies was left with no money, no home and was unable to return to South Australia.

Magistrate Trevor Morgan heard that in ironic circumstances, Davies agreed to drive Rockwell to the targeted businesses because Rockwell did not have a driver’s licence.

“Mr Rockwell didn’t want to break the law by driving?” Magistrate Morgan said.

Davies, who the court heard had dislocated his shoulder while in custody, was given head sentence of six months jail, suspended after 50 days of time served, with 38 days of pre-sentence custody declared.

Meanwhile, the man responsible for the litany of break and enters on Brisbane food businesses has been jailed until at least next month.

Mark Lawrence Rockwell, of Kallangur, appeared under police guard at Pine Rivers Magistrates Court last Thursday charged with more than 50 offences including more than 30 break and enters or attempted break and enters at a string of north Brisbane restaurants, cafes and pizza shops.

According to police Rockwell targeted several businesses per day, with much of the offending happening throughout March this year.

The businesses spanned Dakabin to Bulimba in Brisbane’s south and included Cafe 63s, Pizza Huts and Domino’s stores among others.

Police search a house on March 29 in connection to a string of break and enters at north Brisbane cafes and food businesses. Picture: Queensland Police

Pizza shops on Gympie Rd, Strathpine; Goodridge Rd, Murrumba Downs; Sandgate Rd, Boondall and Gympie Rd, Aspley were among those hit while cafes on Sandgate Rd, Boondall, Lagoon St, Sandgate, Aspinall St, Nundah, Oxford St Bulimba and Alma St Dakabin were also targets.

Three takeaway outlets at a North Lakes shopping centre food court were also targeted, along with another business on College St, North Lakes along with a bottle shop and another outlet on Astley Pde.

A coffee shop a Warner shopping centre and a sushi shop and Dakabin were also victims.

Police arrested Rockwell at his Kallangur home on March 30 after piecing together his list of crimes.

The 29-year-old pleaded guilty to 54 charges which also included stealing, fraud, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, possessing drugs and breaching bail.

Rockwell was sentenced to 18 months jail, with a parole date of July 1 for the break and enters and attempted break and enters and was convicted and not further punished for others.