Dads James Gray, Ricky Williams, Beau Hewat, Paul Rodgerson, Wayne Staff jailed over crimes
They’re meant to be tucking the kids into bed each night but these dodgy dads are instead being told “lights out” by prison wardens.
Leader
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leader . Followed categories will be added to My News.
They’re meant to be tucking the kids into bed each night but these dodgy dads are instead being told “lights out” by prison wardens.
Pub worker sentenced for committing unholy acts
A Mildura dad stole more than $9000 worth of goods from the Mildura Church of Christ in August last year.
James Gray, 36, pleaded guilty to burglary in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court, having been spotted attempting to hide two stolen mowers in the back of his truck on the night of the offence.
Among the items stolen from the church were also a Nintendo Wii console, a Nintendo Switch and an Xbox 360.
As a father of four-children, Gray splits his time between working at Club Merbein and looking after his kids, aged 2, 7, 13 and 15.
The pub worker, who recently made the move from Melbourne to Mildura, also has multiple prior convictions.
Magistrate Patrick Southey said despite these previous convictions, Gray was making progress in creating a better life for himself and his children.
Nonetheless, he said the 36-year-old quickly found himself in trouble with the law once again.
“The evidence is that he has made some progress since August,” Mr Southey said.
“(However) you moved up here and fell in with the wrong crowd very quickly”.
Defence lawyer Hugh Middleton said the majority of Gray’s prior convictions could be attributed to the breakdown of his relationship with his ex-wife and their business.
However, despite his caring responsibilities, Mr Southey said a prison term was the “only appropriate sentence”.
He was sentenced to two months in jail.
Wangaratta man sentenced for murdering ex-partner
A Wangaratta dad told his son he was “sorry and going to be away for a long time” after murdering his ex-partner at a caravan park.
Ricky Williams, 44, repeatedly stabbed Carmen Niklaus in the abdomen with a knife following a heated argument between the pair at the Everton Caravan and Tourist Park on December 6, 2021.
Following the incident, the father of three opted not to seek medical assistance, instead calling his son and confessing, “something bad has happened, Carmen is on the floor.”
Distressing CCTV footage captured a neighbour discovering Ms Niklaus lying naked and bloodied on the living room floor, who was then pronounced dead shortly after the attack.
During the trial, it was revealed that Williams accused Ms Niklaus of exploiting him for money and feared becoming homeless.
In a statement read to the court, Ms Niklaus’ father Donald said the family was “profoundly affected by her death” and said that the loss would “haunt” him for the rest of his life.
Justice John Champion accepted Williams had a difficult upbringing, but still sentenced him to a prison term of 24 years.
“The courts must denounce this is completely unacceptable,” he said.
Williams will be eligible for parole in 2041.
Son of Hells Angels bikie pleads guilty to booze heist
Beau Hewat, son of notorious Hells Angels bikie Peter “Skitzo” Hewat, stole $75,000 of booze and thousands more in Australia Post trailers.
The Mickleham father-of-two fronted the County Court of Victoria on May 2, entering a guilty plea to three charges of theft and two charges of recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime.
The first instance of Hewat’s crime spree came into April 2020, when he stole $75,000 worth of alcohol.
Later that year in December, the 33-year-old proceeded to steal two Australia Post trailers loaded with parcels in Somerton valued at $50,000.
The court also heard Hewat had previously connected a B-double trailer carrying 30 pallets of Jack Daniels and cola pre-mixed slabs to his truck at a depot in Laverton North, before driving off on July 10, 2021.
After offloading the booze at an associate’s factory in Somerton, Hewat then struck a deal with Steve Buzzo, the owner of Tullamarine alcohol distributor 1770 Spirit Co.
Buzzo began selling the alcohol in exchange for Hewat being paid $157,000 in $15,000 weekly instalments.
Despite escaping officers during a raid at his Mickleham property, Hewat later turned himself in.
Judge Michael Cahill said it was difficult to accept the theft of the trailers was “spontaneous”, especially given Hewat’s prior history of stealing trucks carrying alcohol.
Mr Cahill said he was “far from decided” on what sentence to impose.
Hewat has now since been sentenced to 40 days imprisonment (recognised as time-served) and a three-year community corrections order.
SCAREDY-CAT DRUG DEALER DAD
Drug-dealing dad Wayne Staff was busted trafficking meth after leading police on a terrifying chase through Dandenong.
Staff was sentenced in the County Court in October 2020 to a minimum three-year jail term after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of meth.
Staff was lit up after police spotted him a running a red light in Dandenong early on December 4 2019.
The desperado burned off down Lonsdale St towards Stud Rd in his purple Holden Commodore while being tailed by police.
Staff then drove through barriers and onto the opposite side of the Princes Hwy causing oncoming motorists to swerve out of the way.
Police ground units had already backed off Staff as the Airwing took up the pursuit.
Staff was spotted driving into a garage at an Anne St home.
Investigators stormed the home and discovered Staff’s partner but the fiend was nowhere to be found.
A quick search of the home and Staff’s Commodore uncovered almost 200gm of meth, $1600 cash, credit cards and IDs in other names and a tick book.
Police with the help of the police dog discovered Staff hiding in the roof cavity.
Officers demanded Staff come down or they would sick their dog onto him.
“I’m scared of dogs,” Staff said.
Police backed the dog off and Staff came down.
Staff was jailed for a maximum four years and nine months.
Dad revealed as drug gang ringleader
Aspendale dad Paul Rodgerson was revealed as the ringleader of a drug gang which manufactured and peddled ecstasy via the darkweb.
Rodgerson was sentenced in the County Court in February last year to a minimum three years and eight months’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including trafficking a marketable quantity of MDMA.
Federal authorities latched onto Rodgerson, who ran drug gang ‘The Flying Kangaroo’ and his crew after discovering an advert on dark net site Dream Market.
Covert operative ‘Red Bandit’ purchased the gang’s signature Qantas logo stamped flying kangaroo ecstasy via Wickr, Dream Market and dark web site AlphaBay.
FBI evidence revealed 72 separate buyers — not including Red Bandit — purchased 3130 Flying Kangaroo tablets via AlphaBay using Bitcoin at a combined value of almost $32,000 USD.
Crony Robert Olczyk manufactured the ecstasy at a Moorabbin factory leased by Rodgerson, while the gang sought to purchase pill presses and had dealings with manufacturers in China.
Rodgerson was jailed for a maximum six years and five months.
Revealed: Melbourne’s most wanted people
These are the faces of people from Melbourne’s CBD and surrounds that police are looking for. Have you seen them?
Man flown to hospital after car crashes into tree in Loch
A man in his 30s has been flown to hospital in a serious condition after his car crashed into a tree in a small South Gippsland town.