Homeless man Dustin Craig Gosper-Webber spared jail after stealing building materials

A homeless man has walked free after being caught stealing plasterboard to fix a caravan when a magistrate delivered a powerful message of compassion amid a housing crisis.

Kristy-Leigh Burke and Dustin Craig Gosper-Webber leave Cleveland Magistrates court.

A court case involving a Russell Island theft has highlighted Queensland’s growing homelessness crisis, as a magistrate this week spared a man jail after hearing he stole building materials to make a caravan liveable.

Dustin Craig Gosper-Webber appeared before Cleveland Magistrates Court on June 24 alongside co-accused Kristy Leigh Burke.

Both pleaded guilty to entering a premises with intent to commit an indictable offence after being caught removing construction materials from a Jackson Rd building site on Russell Island on June 3.

Police were alerted by neighbours who spotted the pair taking plasterboard from a half-built home.

Officers intercepted their vehicle and found the stolen materials.

Mr Gosper-Webber, who the court heard has been homeless for some time, told police he planned to use the items to repair a caravan so he had somewhere warm to sleep.

In court, Magistrate Deborah Vasta accepted the man’s circumstances but said the law still applied.

“I get you’re trying to stay warm and safe but if this was your home and someone helped themselves, you’d be upset too.”

She sentenced Mr Gosper-Webber to 40 hours of community service and ordered him to report to corrections officers within 24 hours.

Ms Burke was placed on eight months’ probation with Magistrate Vasta noting a previous one-month suspended sentence remained in effect until November 27.

“If you commit any offences between now and November 27, that one-month jail term is still hovering,” the court heard.

Ms Burke accepted the order, which includes supervision, counselling, and drug and alcohol support.

Queensland faces a deepening housing crisis, with the number of homeless people in regional areas and on the bay islands steadily rising.

Magistrate Vasta acknowledged that isolation on Russell Island made it even harder for people sleeping rough to access services or escape poverty.

Police said the man had no fixed address and had previously told officers he was “just trying to find somewhere to sleep”.

Ms Burke said she had taken breakfast to Mr Gosper-Webber that morning, and both expressed remorse in court.

The court also heard that Mr Gosper-Webber had previously completed community service and wanted to “start a new life”.

Frontline police officers and community volunteers across Brisbane including officers from Carina Police Station have recently partnered with The Forgotten Women, a charity helping older women at risk of homelessness, through outreach events coordinated by Quota Carindale.

At a community event earlier this month, Carina police were recognised for their outreach work with The Forgotten Women, a charity supporting older women experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Carina police, who have run a campaign distributing trauma bears to children in crisis, were recognised this month for their work supporting vulnerable women and those affected by family breakdown or financial hardship.

Magistrate Vasta urged both defendants to work with community corrections and housing services, and reminded them that support was available.

“You need stability, and that starts with staying out of trouble,” she said.

Both Mr Gosper-Webber and Ms Burke agreed to comply with their orders.