Kasie Richard Clifford Rice sentenced to seven years jail for crime spree while on parole
A father of five that was arrested by a special police task force after dodging authorities for nine days while on parole has been sentenced to jail.
Townsville
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A judge has attacked the behaviour of a Townsville father who went on an ice-fuelled crime spree.
Kasie Richard Clifford Rice cut off his electronic monitoring device in June 2017, less than a month and a half into his parole, and was involved in a series of dangerous altercations with police during the nine-day spree.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate told the Townsville District Court officers first spotted Rice driving at Railway Estate in the early hours of June 17, but he failed to stop when signalled.
Three days later at a Deeragun shop, Rice charged at an officer who had his gun drawn and attempted to flee in his car, accelerating into a brick wall twice and rupturing a water main.
On June 24, officers found Rice at a petrol station, where he reversed into police cars and fled the scene.
A special response team was deployed to help find Rice.
The spree came to an end when on June 24, officers received information that Rice was seen driving into the carport of a Kelso residence.
A specialist team, using an armoured vehicle, took the father of five into custody using a flash grenade.
Rice had attempted to flee again, driving a ute into the backyard of a neighbouring house and ramming the armoured vehicle.
When officers searched the 31 year old, 1g of ice was found in his underpants.
Rice pleaded guilty to 16 charges including grievous bodily harm and serious assault.
Judge John Coker said his crimes “displayed a total disregard for anyone else’s safety”.
“The offending that brings you before this court is serious in the extreme,” Judge Coker said. Defence barrister Harvey Walters said Rice had a good work history and started using ice after he secured a high paying job in the mines in 2011.
Judge Coker took into consideration an early plea of guilty. Rice was sentenced to seven years’ jail with a parole date set at August 3, 2022.
Convictions were recorded.
Originally published as Kasie Richard Clifford Rice sentenced to seven years jail for crime spree while on parole