Addict blames battered girlfriend’s death for bloody Brisbane crime spree

‘So you can smack her in the mouth but you’re sad when she dies?’ A Magistrate has scoffed at the defence offered by 24-year-old who led police on a wild chase.

A grisly photograph tendered to the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Thursday showed a young Ipswich woman battered and bruised, her lips bleeding and eyes blackened.

The court heard she’d been publicly bashed and humiliated by her boyfriend, 24-year-old Ryan Daniel Burr, after the pair were kicked off a bus on Warwick St in Ipswich at around 3.30pm on July 12.

The court heard Ryan Burr injected meth on a daily basis before he was imprisoned at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

Police prosecutor sergeant Graham Turner said Burr accused his girlfriend of cheating on him then pushed her head into a window and repeatedly hit her on the mouth and head, causing her to “taste blood” and feel significant pain.

Police were called to the scene and Burr, a former student of Shailer Park State High School, was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

The woman has since died of an unrelated heart attack.

Defence lawyer Brendan Beavon from Russo Lawyers told the court Burr’s offending worsened as he struggled to cope with the grief.

Ryan Daniel Burr slammed his girlfriend's head into a window when he suspected her of cheating. She later died of an unrelated heart attack.

At this, Magistrate Trevor Morgan could not help but chuckle in disbelief.

“So you can smack her in the mouth but you’re sad when she dies?” he said.

“You’re domestically violent towards her, then feel sorry when she’s dead?

“You humiliated her to the greatest extent possible.”

Burr racked up an additional 13 charges since the woman’s passing, all of which he pleaded guilty to via videolink from the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

In a crime spree that stretched from September 23 to October 13, Burr was busted with clip seal bags of methamphetamine, used syringes and restricted drugs in the CBD.

At 11am on October 7 he was found wandering through the city while covered in blood and became aggressive when police tried to offer assistance, leading to a public nuisance charge.

As Burr’s methamphetamine use escalated to injecting on a daily basis, so did his offending.

Sgt Graham said Burr stole a Mitsubishi Pajero, swapped out the registration plates and took it on a dangerous joy ride through North Lakes on October 18, when he was seen speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road, and “bouncing” over traffic islands.

Police officers and Polair tracked Burr into Mango Hill, where he ran through red lights, drove straight for police officers and was finally stopped by a spike trap.

Even once boxed in by police vehicles, Burr continued to resist arrest.

Sgt Graham said he struggled “violently” against police as they finally pulled him from the car and arrested him.

READ MORE NORTH BRISBANE NEWS

North Lakes mum guilty of assaulting toddler with coat hanger

Charges upgraded for ‘affected’ man accused of killing 51YO Kallangur dog walker

New north Brisbane businesses you need to know about

Mr Beavon said most of Burr’s offending could be linked back to his use of “ice”, which he started using when he was just 18-years-old.

Burr was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for the assault charge, 18 months imprisonment for the unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle charges and 100 days imprisonment for the evasion charge.

He was disqualified from driving for three years.

For the remainder of the offences he was convicted and not further punished.

Burr will be released on parole on March 4.