Terrance James Ellis sentenced in Townsville District Court after $98k in property theft and damage
A thief has been told to picture his son if he considers reoffending after a string of crimes that left North Queensland businesses devastated.
Townsville
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A man who caused nearly $100,000 in property damage during a two month crime spree has appeared in court with the judge urging him to make better choices for the sake of his eight-year-old son.
Terrance James Ellis appeared in Townsville District Court on Thursday after a string of property offences that targeted businesses and construction sites around North Queensland.
Crown prosecutor Terance McCosker said that the 39-year-old had begun his crime spree less than three months after the defendant’s parole had expired for prior property related offences.
He told the court that between April 14 and April 16 Ellis, alongside co offender Luke Crisp, broke into a construction compound where he stole a fan, glass doors, a laser, and toolboxes costing $600.
In the early hours of April 16 he then entered a Hanson construction compound and stole tools and parts from inside shipping containers before accessing keys to two trucks on site and stealing the radios and tools from inside the vehicles, totalling to $31,500 in stolen property and damage.
Mr McCosker said police later located a Toyota that was “hot to the touch”, where they found items stolen from the construction sites, a bag of cannabis and Ellis’s ID.
The crown said on June 2 he broke into a unit at Stanton Terrace stealing an iPad and a Toyota Hilux which he drove to Fairfield car wash where he attempted to gain access to the business using drills and a crowbar causing a total of $10,990 in damage.
Ellis then made his way to a concrete warehouse and stole $10,885 in tools and equipment.
Later that same month the defendant resorted to a “smash and grab technique” by using a ute to crash into the front of an electrical store in Ayr and stole $5969 in property, $700 cash and caused $10,000 in damage, according to the crown.
Nine days later Ellis smashed the windows of ARB Townsville stealing $7,074 in property or money before returning again two nights later to break the same windows and steal an additional $6459 in property.
Mr McCosker said police arrested Ellis on June 24 at his unit and found cannabis, used hypodermic needles and clothing that resembled those involved in the break-ins.
The total cost of the damage caused and property stolen from the string of offences was $98,825.13.
Defence barrister Anthony Collins said that Ellis had an eight year old son and prior to his offending he had worked at a zinc refinery and had also previously been employed to paint houses.
Mr Collins also said a heavy addiction to methamphetamines had contributed to the property offences.
Judge Jennifer Rosengren acknowledged Ellis’s battle with addiction but said that his mature age and extensive criminal history proves that he hasn’t made an active choice to improve his behaviour.
“I don’t know if there would be anything in your world that might motivate you to do it more (access support) than that little eight year old in your world,” she said.
“You do have the choice when you create all this harm and havoc for other people because that is what you are doing.”
“That little eight year old doesn’t have a single choice in the fact that you are his father, he’s stuck with you and rather than making him grow up and feel that he’s stuck with you, why don’t you try and give him something to be proud of.”
Ellis pleaded guilty to 21 charges including breaking and entering premises and stealing, possessing a dangerous drug, burglary and stealing, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, wilful damage, attempted stealing and receiving tainted property.
Judge Rosengren declared the 720 days the man had spent in pre-sentence custody as time served.
He was sentenced to three years’ jail and released immediately on parole.
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Originally published as Terrance James Ellis sentenced in Townsville District Court after $98k in property theft and damage
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