Peter James Pearson pleads guilty to assault, firearm offences in Bundaberg court

A Qld court has heard how a man stole three rifles before driving at dangerous speeds through the township of Monto in a futile attempt to evade police.

A Monto man stole three rifles before driving at dangerous speeds through the township of Monto in a futile attempt to evade police.

A North Burnett man who stole two rifles from a slaughter yard before evading police in a dramatic chase through the streets of Monto is now staring at a lengthy stay in jail.

Peter James Pearson pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Thursday, November 2 to multiple charges including unlawful possession of weapons, common assault, fraud, break and enter and evading police.

However, the seriousness of his crimes means it will be months before he learns how long he will be behind bars.

Documents tendered in court said Pearson’s offending began on November 7, 2021, when he unsuccessfully attempted to break into Fairytale Endings, a jewellery store in Childers.

CCTV footage showed Pearson trying to use a tool to cut a bolt securing the entrance to the business, and leaving a short time later empty-handed.

Two days later, Pearson entered a slaughter yard on the outskirts of Monto and carried out an “untidy search” of the office of the business, leaving property including knives strewn around the office.

Pearson used a captive bolt bun to break into a slaughter yard gun safe and steal two Stirling Rimfire Rifles.

Police said Pearson may have used a captive bolt bun, a device used to stun animals prior to slaughter, to break into a gun safe in the office and steal two Stirling Rimfire Rifles.

At an unknown time between November 9 and 11, Pearson broke into a shipping container at the back of a Kalpowar property and forced open a gun safe located in the container, stealing a lever action shotgun.

Later that day, a property owner observed Pearson get out of his vehicle and start searching in the grass near the man’s property.

When the man asked Pearson what he was doing, he said he was “looking for his black gun”.

Pearson got back into his car and drove into the man’s yard, then exited his car and approached the man while cocking a rifle which police later determined was loaded.

When the man told Pearson he did not have any weapons Pearson got back into his car and left the property.

Police patrolling nearby observed Pearson leaving the property and, identifying he was driving a stolen Mazda, caught up with his vehicle and switched on their emergency lights and sirens.

Police allege Pearson rapidly accelerated away from the police car, reaching speeds of 160 km/h in a 100 km/h zone.

Due to the length of imprisonment likely exceeding three years, Pearson's matters were adjourned to a District Court committal hearing on November 23.

Through the pursuit, Pearson dangerously overtook other vehicles causing them to take evasive action, and drove erratically through the streets of Monto reaching speeds of 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

Pearson was apprehended after he took a wrong turn into a service station and was blocked by police.

On inspecting the car police found the loaded rifle which Pearson held when approaching the property owner earlier that day.

Pearson, who represented himself due to a delay in transferring his case to a Legal Aid defence barrister, was told by Magistrate John McInnes and police prosecutor Sergeant Carl Spargo they recommended his case be adjourned to a later date.

However, Pearson wanted to proceed to sentencing immediately on the basis of his guilty plea, saying he wanted to “get it over and done with” since the charges had been hanging over his head for two years.

Pearson’s mother, sitting in the public gallery, asked “can I say no?”, but was told by Mr McInnes that she did not have the power to intervene.

After reviewing the charges, Mr McInnes and Sgt Spargo determined that Pearson would likely be sentenced to a term of imprisonment greater than three years, which required his case be committed to District Court.

Pearson’s matters were adjourned to a committal hearing in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on November 23.

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Originally published as Peter James Pearson pleads guilty to assault, firearm offences in Bundaberg court