Townsville man, Jye Peter Walker sentenced in Townsville Court for role in police gun-theft

The youngest of the offenders involved in stealing an officer’s gun from an unmarked police car has been sentenced for the crime spree that also saw six cars destroyed.

CCTV footage showed the alleged theft in a Townsville apartment complex car park. (Supplied: Queensland Police Service)

A young man who was involved in stealing a police gun from an unmarked vehicle has been sentenced for the ‘crime spree’ that also saw a range of vehicles broken into, significant goods stolen and a gate rammed through.

Jye Peter Walker appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court via video link on Friday morning with his girlfriend supporting him at the back of court.

Police prosecutor Sam Stewart said the worst of the crime spree that involved 18-year-old Walker, was the police weapon stolen from a car.

“A significant amount of police resources were used in that time before it was finally located in December,” Mr Stewart said.

“It caused a lot of hysteria and obviously so.

“The defendant was an active member of a party of four people attending the premises to essentially raid different storage areas in a set of units.”

Mr Stewart said Walker had provided the angle grinder that was used in order to cut the wires in the police car to steal the lockbox where the Glock had been secured, which he made full admissions to police to when he was arrested.

The court was told seven cars were broken into total, with six of them being destroyed as they had smashed the windows to get inside, one of the cars being the BMW that was used to drive through closed gates.

It was at the beginning of the crime spree that Townsville business, ‘Attention to Detail’ was broken into and $14,000 total of goods were stolen.

Mr Stewart noted there was a level of “sophistication” to the crimes as Walker had brought the grinder to break through property.

Defence lawyer Phil Rennick told Magistrate Susan Warrington she was dealing with an “18-year-old with no criminal history”.

“He’s remorseful and assisted police and told them all about it,” he said.

“The other three offenders were adults with significant criminal history, he had only turned 18 a month before this offending.”

He also told the court Walker had prospects of rehabilitation and had expressed wanting to work towards being a motorcycle mechanic upon being released.

Magistrate Warrington acknowledged that when Walker spoke to police he admitted to feeling pressure from the older co-offenders.

“It doesn’t excuse it but it does provide some context,” she said.

Walker could be seen nodding as Her Honour expressed that the community “denounced” this type of behaviour.

He pleaded guilty to six break and enter charges, two enter premises with intent to commit and one charge each of unlawful possession of weapon and unlawful use of motor vehicle in company.

The young man was sentenced to three months jail and two years’ probation, with the 81 days already spent in custody declared as time served.

He will be released on February 24. Convictions were recorded

Originally published as Townsville man, Jye Peter Walker sentenced in Townsville Court for role in police gun-theft