Ryan Stephen Wayne: Upper Coomera man uses own vehicle in bungled daylight jewellery theft

Police had little trouble tracking down a drug-addicted father of four who used his own car in a bungled afternoon theft at a popular SE Qld jewellery store, a court has heard.

A 33-year-old father of four who acted as a lookout and getaway driver in a bungled theft of thousands of dollars in jewellery, has walked away with a fine after making efforts to turn his life around, a court has heard.

Visibly relieved as he left Cleveland Magistrates Court with partner on Thursday, Upper Coomera man Ryan Stephen Wayne pleaded guilty to three offences.

These included enter premises and committing an indictable offence; unlawful possession of weapons category A, B or M and possessing utensils or pipes that had been used in a drug crime.

Ryan Stephen Wayne, 33, at Cleveland Magistrates Court before his sentencing.

The court heard Wayne, on Wednesday September 2 last year, wandered into Stephen Dibb Jewellery at Cleveland about 3pm and told a store employee that he was “just having a look”.

A police prosecutor said Wayne’s co-defendant was already present in the store at the time after having asked to view items of jewellery late in the afternoon on September 1, the day before.

After Wayne gave his co-defendant “a look” inside the store on September 2 he left the premises.

He would be found sitting behind the wheel of his Mitsubishi sedan in a nearby Woolworths carpark after his co-defendant snatched a ring and necklace while pretending to pay for the items soon after Wayne left the store.

Stephen Dibb Jewellery in Cleveland was victim to a brazen attempted theft on September 2, 2020. Picture: Marcel Baum

A store employee giving chase recognised and observed Wayne sitting behind the wheel of his Mitsubishi as he waited for his fleeing co-defendant.

According to the prosecution, Wayne’s co-defendant threw the stolen ring to the store employee before jumping in the vehicle and departing.

Members of the public witnessed the pair throw the stolen necklace on the ground.

A police prosecutor said both items, valued at $4,500, were recovered.

Having made their getaway in Wayne’s personal vehicle the pair were easily tracked down after the store employee noted the vehicle registration number.

The prosecution noted Wayne claimed not to have known what his co-defendant – who was sentenced to two years’ probation for the matter last year – was up to but rejected it as a mitigating factor.

A defence solicitor for Wayne told the court he had turned his life around after a drug addiction and bungled robbery. Picture: Facebook.

“His involvement in the matter is a lookout and driver and he is certainly as culpable as the other defendant,” a police prosecutor said.

Defence solicitor Sarah Pascoe said her client had been living with an associate at the time while drug addicted and under “incredibly difficult circumstances”, after having separated from the mother of his children.

Ms Pascoe said Wayne had since salvaged the relationship, regained full-time employment in the building trade, took part in a mentoring program and served food to the homeless.

“He has since then done remarkably well,” Ms Pascoe said.

A reference letter from Wayne’s employer was tendered to the court.

Acting Magistrate Ann Gummow acknowledged Wayne’s comprehensive efforts to get himself “out of a hole”.

With a criminal history dating to 2017, Wayne was fined $1,500 with a criminal conviction recorded.