EXCUSES, EXCUSES: Unusual reasons behind Bundy crimes

Here are some of the stories behind committing crimes, as heard in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court this year

Here are some of the excuses defendants gave when they appeared in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court this year.

FROM cold pizza and feeling 'hangry', to addiction trophies and dodgy drugs, here are some of the more unusual excuses defendants have told the Bundaberg Magistrates Court this year.

Man in court over weapon, drug 'trophy'

A BUNDABERG man has told a magistrate he pleads "stupidly guilty" after police caught him with a drug "trophy" and weapon.

Appearing in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court yesterday, Shane Andrew Volker was charged with the unlawful possession of a pipe which had been used to smoke drugs and an electrical antipersonnel device which falls under weapons category R.

Police intercepted Volker on September 2 and after conducting a search of his vehicle, found a glass pipe and a handmade taser which had been constructed out of batteries and prongs.

When asked how he would plead to the charges, Volker told Magistrate Andrew Moloney that he was "stupidly guilty."

The defendant told the court he had been out of trouble for more than 12 years, which is when he last used the pipe.

He said he kept it as a "trophy" to remind himself of how far he had come since giving up drugs.

Volker said a friend gave him the taser which was cheap and poorly constructed about a year ago and it had been sitting in his car ever since.

He said the taser was initially much larger in size but he pulled it apart and only kept the end piece out of curiosity, because he wanted to "see how the bloody thing worked."

 

Man takes matters into own hands after dealer attempts to give his son drugs

Travis Noel Jacobi faced the Bundaberg Magistrates Court yesterday for five charges, all of which related to a dangerous driving and wilful damage matter on February 22.

The incident occurred at Baffle Creek Caravan Park when Jacobi who has sole custody of his four children, discovered a dealer on the premises had attempted offering drugs to his teenage son.

While two of his sons aged 12 and 16 were in the car, Jacobi then deliberately drove into a dwelling at the back of Baffle Creek Caravan Park and collided with the upright posts that support the outdoor awning, causing the pole to snap.

This caused the whole lattice wall to expose the entire contents of the kitchen up against the rear wall of the complainant's house.

Jacobi then reversed several metres into the complainant's utility shed, causing further damage, before driving off.

The court heard Jacobi was under a lot of stress at the time of the incident, due to the recent breakdown of his relationship and his ongoing unemployment.

IN COURT: Travis Noel Jacobi.

'No other option' but to drink drive after being kicked out

AFTER a fight broke out and he was asked to leave a barbecue, a P-plater has told the Bundaberg Magistrates Court that he had "no other option" but to drive, after one too many drinks.

When Jacob Jeremy Brown-Crooks attended a gathering in Agnes Water on September 4, he said he intended to stay there all night.

But when a fight started and the host asked him to leave, Brown-Crooks said he was left with "no other option" but to drive, despite being the holder of a provisional licence and being required to have a zero alcohol concentration limit.

Bundaberg Magistrate Andrew Moloney told the defendant while he had no other option than to leave the property, there were plenty of alternatives to driving after he had been drinking.

 

Man busted with meth complains of dodgy drugs

When police intercepted a Bundaberg man and found drugs in his possession, he told them he had been "ripped off because it was poor quality meth."

Brendan Keith Henricksen was handed down a hefty fine for a string of drug-related charges.

Appearing in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court last week, he pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of dangerous drugs and two counts of utensils or pipes.

It all started on April 26, when police were conducting patrols and intercepted a vehicle that Henricksen was driving.

The defendant, along with his passengers appeared to be moving around to conceal items in the car and when police attempted to ask Henricksen questions, he responded cautiously and in a nervous manner.

As a result of the behaviour observed by police, they conducted a search of the vehicle and found a black zipped case sitting in a compartment on the side passenger door.

Inside the case was one glass pipe and two clip-seal bags containing 0.5g of a crystal substance, which the defendant confirmed was methamphetamine.

Claiming ownership of the meth, Henricksen said he had purchased it from an associate and intended to smoke it, but believed he had been "ripped off because it was poor quality meth."

IN BUNDY COURT: Brendan Henricksen.

Man swears at servo worker while bleeding from dog bite

Lee David Pope faced Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to a public nuisance charge, but claimed it was due to "surrounding circumstances" and a dog attack.

Police were called to a disturbance at the Coles Express service station on Barolin St, on July 5 about 5.20pm, where Pope was found inside the store.

The female service station worker told police Pope had entered the store screaming that he had been bitten by a dog and requested she lock the door, but she said she was unable to, as there was another customer on the premises at the time.

Pope said he ran into the service station screaming for help after a pit bull he estimated to weigh 20 to 30kg, allegedly attacked him.

He said when the dog and its male owner approached him outside the service station, the dog which was not on a lead, bit the cheek of his right buttock and caused pain to his right leg which had already sustained a previous injury.

The defendant claims three men, including the owner of the pit bull, then allegedly followed him into the service station and threatened to beat him up, while he was bleeding from the dog bite and sitting on the floor, between the ATM and drinks machine.

He said he had photographic evidence, as well as brand new clothes that he was wearing at the time, which had been destroyed and had tear marks from the dog bites.

Following the argument, Pope then yelled at the female staff member saying "You're nothing but a f****** c***, a f****** b****" and "I'm going to f****** sue you."

Despite pleading guilty to the public nuisance charge, the defendant requested the court "do something about the dog" as he believed the animal had been used to attack him "as a weapon" and his complaints with council had not been actioned.

 

Defendant licks meth, tells cops it's just 'Panadol'

After spending nine months in prison, a woman has appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to finalise a series of drug-related charges.

Looking to start afresh, Kim Therese Bell relocated from Goondiwindi to the Bundaberg region about six weeks ago, with her 10-year-old daughter in tow.

But with outstanding charges linked to offences that were dealt with by the District Court, resulting of nine months jail time, the defendant was back in court again.

The defendant pleaded guilty to a total of 10 charges, dated from January to October last year, some of which had already been finalised.

On January 9, March 13 and June 5 last year, police executed search warrants at the defendant's residential address at Goondiwindi.

On the first occasion, police found an electric grinder, which the defendant admitted to have used for chopping up cannabis.

Two months later, police discovered an Apple iPhone which belonged to the defendant with multiple voice recordings and messages showing it had been used to supply drugs.

Police then found a large water pipe, scissors, a tin and green plant material which had been chopped up in Bell's home in June.

Back in March last year, the defendant was intercepted by police while driving and she admitted to smoking cannabis the night earlier.

Bell later told police that she had a bag in her possession that might contain ice.

Using her finger, the defendant licked contents of clip-seal bag, telling police it tasted like "Panadol" and she did not feel any effects by taking it.

When police conducted a roadside test Bell tested positive for methamphetamine.

IN BUNDY COURT: Kim Bell.

Man stole chips, cash in servo robbery

A court has heard how a young man's offending was "motivated by hunger" when he stole cash and chips from a local service station.

Alexander Cedric Melvin Harrison, 22, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court yesterday to one count of armed robbery.

The court heard Harrison went to the Coles Express service station on Barolin St on May 9 where he picked up a packet of chips before pulling out a knife.

He used the knife to threaten the employee behind the counter, who was the only person working at the store, telling her to "shut up and open the till".

Harrison made off with $185 in cash.

He was identified from CCTV and on May 11 police conducted a search and found him with the clothes he was wearing during the robbery, a knife and the money.

Harrison's barrister Callan Cassidy said his client's offending was "motivated by hunger" and he was couch surfing or sleeping in parks at the time.

 

Facebook Marketplace seller cops hundreds in fines

Mount Perry man Craig Gordon Hanlon appeared in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, after he failed to send items to a customer who had already paid.

Selling car parts on Marketplace for $110, it started off as a normal business transaction between the pair.

Hanlon provided his bank account details for payment to which the keen customer promptly transferred funds across in exchange for the parts.

Agreeing to supply a tracking number, things took a turn when Hanlon told the customer he had misplaced it.

After the customer made several attempts to obtain the tracking number or a refund, Hanlon stopped responding to his messages and blocked him on the social media platform.

Months after the initial incident, police spoke with the defendant who confirmed he had received the funds, lost the tracking number and agreed to reimburse the victim.

Facing the Bundaberg court yesterday, Hanlon told the Magistrate that he gave the parts to his daughter to post to the customer, as he was busy at the time.

He said soon after the arrangement, he had a disagreement with his daughter's boyfriend and had cut ties with his daughter as a result.

The defendant said he spoke to his daughter about a week and a half ago for the first time since the disagreement occurred and she confirmed that she had not sent the parts, but had "literally thrown them in the bin."

Craig Gordon Hanlon pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to fraud.

 

Man tells court syringes were to inject vitamin B into his liver

A man has faced court after police found three used needles in his bedroom.

Andrew David Tyler pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable care and precautions in respect of a syringe in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Dean Burgess told the court police executed a warrant at Tyler's home.

When police reached Tyler's bedroom they found three used needles and syringes in a box.

Sgt Burgess told the court Tyler told police that he used the syringes to inject himself for a medical condition.

When questioned about the needles not being disposed of Tyler told police he was not obliged to because it was his bedroom and he could do what he liked.

Tyler, who represented himself, told the court he used the needles to inject vitamin B into his liver.

 

Man grew marijuana to get munchies back

A man has told a court how he grew his own marijuana so he didn't have to 'meet anyone on the street' to buy it.

Graham Julian Butkowsky pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court this week to four offences including producing and possessing a dangerous drug.

The court heard police searched Butkowsky's Deepwater home on September 22 where they came across seven marijuana plants in a green house.

Inside the house they also found five grams of marijuana, a pipe and a grinder.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Grant Klaassen told the court Butkowsky had like offending in his history but hadn't been before the courts for a long time.

Butkowsky, who represented himself, told the court he had a tumour in his stomach and that he consumed the marijuana in tea to help get his appetite back.

 

Graham Butkowsky pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to four offences including producing a dangerous drug.

 

Man breaches DVO after being served cold pizza

A COURT has heard how a young man breached his domestic violence order after being unhappy with the temperature of his dinner.

The man in his 20s, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to contravening a domestic violence order as an aggravated offence.

The court heard on Friday night the man had received prior permission to be at his mother's home on Friday night.

The aggrieved, the man's mother, served pizza for dinner but the man became unsatisfied with the temperature of it.

The man then asked for money to go and buy something to eat before he became angry and started breaking crockery.

The aggrieved then called the police and the man left the home on foot.

 

Alleged arsonist fuelled by work feud, court hears

FUELLED by a feud with a work colleague, a Childers man allegedly set fire to a work colleague's car in the early hours of Sunday morning.

John Paul Schleusener, 34, appeared via video link in Bundaberg Magistrates Court today where he was denied bail for one count of arson.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Tina Bland opposed bail on the basis that the evidence was strong as the police had obtained CCTV footage and conducted a search warrant.

Mrs Moloy said the complaint started working at the same company as Schleusener approximately one month after he started and there was some discord between them.

Magistrate Andrew Moloney said the prosecution's case was that Schleusener attended the address of the complainant armed with some petrol and a lighter and poured petrol over the front of the motor vehicle and up to near the gate before setting the petrol alight.

 

John Paul Schleusener.

Stealing to keep airconditioners running

A WOMAN has copped the heat of a fine after stealing electricity to keep cool.

Megan Anne McCabe pleaded guilty to one count of stealing in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday after she stole electricity to power two air conditioners.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Tina Bland told the court police attended a property on Hunter St which was owned by a man who was renovating the home to rent out.

When police arrived they saw an extension lead connected to the powered shed with the switch turned on.

Police followed the cord to McCabe's home which backed onto the property.

Sen Const. Bland told the court the extension lead was fed through the cut mesh of a screen door and was plugged into a power board which was powering the two air conditioners.

The two air conditioners were running at the time.

When police questioned McCabe about the power she told them a man, whose name she did not disclose, had been staying at her house and he was the one who connected the power chord to the shed.

She said she knew he did it and did not unplug them at any time.

 

Man free after leaving house to burn

A COURT has heard how a man hitchhiked to Bundaberg from Sharon while he let an abandoned house burn.

Lex Power, 39, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court to one count of arson.

In November last year Power went into an abandoned house in Sharon after he had injected himself with ice.

When inside the home he tried turning on lights which weren't working so resorted to using a candle from the cupboard before falling asleep.

Power was later woken by his own coughing and found the house was on fire with one of the candles having started the blaze.

He then ran out of the home and hitchhiked to Bundaberg.

Crown prosecutor Erin Kelly told the court an insurance claim was made on the home with the fire causing $228,980 worth of damage.

 

Lex Power pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court to one count of arson after he left a burning house in Sharon last year.

Red wine and fishing turns into hit, run and fire

A MAN who admits he had a drinking problem when he crashed his car and fled the scene, said he was no longer struggling with alcohol after giving it up for four weeks.

Appearing in Bundaberg Magistrates Court yesterday in relation to five charges, Nathan Ernest Fletcher labelled his actions on the night of June 21, as "pretty stupid."

What started out as a fun night out at a friend's house quickly escalated when Fletcher decided he wanted to go fishing after polishing off a carton of red wine.

The defendant was driving along George St about 7.15pm, when he passed police driving the opposite way.

But police quickly pulled to a halt after they heard a loud noise when Fletcher lost control of his Nissan Pulsar, veering off onto the other side of the road, hitting the gutter and crashing into a tree.

As officers approached the crash site, Fletcher immediately exited the vehicle and ran across large vacant fields towards a nearby skatepark.

Upon further inspection, police found the significantly damaged vehicle had a lot of the driver's blood inside, as well as one of his shoes.

In addition, a large 20 litre drum of kerosene was also found on the front passenger seat of the car, causing the vehicle to catch fire.

Police attempted to contain the blaze, until crews from QFES arrived at the scene and were able to extinguish the fire.

Concerned for the defendant's safety, a police dog was then tasked to locate Fletcher, leading police to a nearby skatepark, where a taxi driver and company were able to confirm the collection and drop-off details for the defendant.

Police arrived at Fletcher's home where he resides with his partner and stepchildren and described the defendant as unsteady on his feet and smelling of alcohol.

It is alleged he then failed to follow police directions, by declining to sit on a chair outside or provide a specimen of his breath upon request.

Police officers then handcuffed him and attempted to place him into their car to transport him to hospital and he tried to obstruct their efforts by leaning back with all his body weight.

Fletcher's blood alcohol test showed up in the high range, reading 0.226%.

Despite his guilty plea and the admission he could not remember the events over the course of the night, Fletcher alleged he attempted to provide a specimen of his breath on six occasions but was unable to blow long enough for the test to work.

The defendant sustained a head wound and told the court he would likely lose his job as a removalist if he lost his driver's licence.

When Magistrate Andrew Moloney asked what had happened in the lead up to cause the incident, the defendant replied "I was just going fishing."

 

Baker fined $15k after pies make people ill

A LOCAL baker has been fined $15,000 after three people became ill from eating pies purchased at his bakery.

Malcolm James Nisbet, 60, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to one count of selling unsafe food.

Two customers had purchased some pies from Nisbet's business Bro's Bakery in June last year.

The pies were both kept in a pie warmer and were sold as being ready to eat.

They were consumed about 20 minutes later when the customers had returned home.

The court heard two customers and one other person ate most of the two pies which were the subject of the charge, with part of it being frozen for later consumption.

Those three people then became ill later that night or early the following morning.

They all suffered diarrhoea, with two of them experiencing various other symptoms including stomach cramps, nausea, abdominal pain and joint and muscle pain.

Microbiological testing from stool samples of the customers who fell ill, the left over pie and swabs from the bakery detected a pathogen.

The samples showed the disease strain were part of the same cluster and were genetically related.

Nisbet accepted his cooking methods were possibly outdated.

The court also heard Nisbet had inadequate temperature control when cooling products.

Ms Philipson said she found it concerning that Nisbet described one of his employees as "not having as good standards as yourself and that he was not very hygienic".

 

Malcolm Nisbet owner of Bro's Bakery.

Anniversary champagne run ends in date with court

A COUPLE received more than they bargained for on their sixth anniversary, after James Michael Eaton received a fine and was disqualified from driving.

Treating themselves to a weekend away in Agnes Water to mark the special occasion on August 15, the pair finished off the last of their champagne so Eaton decided to venture out and fetch another bottle.

But he never made it to the bottle shop.

Eaton was intercepted by police as he appeared to be speeding and returned a positive alcohol breath analysis reading of 0.087 per cent.

Appearing in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court this week, the defendant pleaded guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit, but not the middle alcohol limit.

 

Woman steals perfume to 'feed addictions'

A COURT has heard how a woman stole bottles of perfume from three Bundaberg pharmacies to fuel her drug habit.

Ashley Moras, 28, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to five stealing offences.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Grant Klaassen told the court this happened on five occasions between March and June.

Sgt Klaassen said Moras went to Malouf Pharmacy, Chemist Warehouse and Priceline in Bundaberg where she took the perfumes without paying for them.

She was identified through CCTV footage.

Sgt Klaassen said Moras had similar offending in her history.

Moras's lawyer Lavonda Maloy told the court her client began using drugs at the age of 25.

The court heard Moras stole the bottles of perfume to "feed her addictions".

 

Ashley Moras received fines after stealing perfume from three Bundy pharmacies to feed her drug addiction.

Fake number plates stack up for a hefty fine

A Bundaberg man has faced court on multiple charges after being caught driving around with number plates that were made out of paper and laminated.

One outing has cost a man more than he bargained for after he committed a series of traffic related offences on the one night.

Joseph John Norman pleaded guilty in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court to four charges including one count of driving uninsured, unregistered, without a drivers licence and without registration plates, certificate or permit.

It all went down on October 12, when police were conducting patrols and intercepted Norman about 1.50am when they couldn't see a number plate on the vehicle he was driving.

Upon further inspection, police found the defendant had a paper number plate which had been laminated and stuck to the front of his car.

Removing the fake plates, police discovered Norman's real number plate and found the car was both unregistered and uninsured.

But failure to comply with traffic laws didn't stop there.

Police found that the defendant had never reapplied for a drivers licence after receiving a suspension in February, which had since been completed.

Norman told police he had borrowed the vehicle from a friend and was unaware it was unregistered, uninsured and that he had to reapply for a licence.

The court heard that the 46-year-old had an extensive history of traffic offences and while he was usually working, he'd found it challenging to find a job without access to transport.

Growing up in NSW, Norman relocated to Bundaberg a number of years ago and is a father-of-three who stays in regular contact with his children.

His defence lawyer said his client's motivation for driving stemmed from wanting to visit his youngest daughter, who was in hospital at the time.

The court heard the defendant had booked an appointment to take a test at the Department of Transport but this was cancelled due to COVID-19 and he had not attempted to re-book since.

 

Man fires arrows, cops find poison, drugs and explosive ammo

A BUNDABERG magistrate has told a man that he has lost his "moral compass" after the defendant shot arrows into his neighbour's yard and was charged with a string of offences including possession of drugs, poison and explosives.

Appearing in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court, Daniel John Stevens pleaded guilty to a total of seven charges.

Police were called to a residential property in Branyan on June 19, when the next-door neighbour of the defendant reported Stevens was shooting arrows over the fence and into his backyard.

When they arrived, the victim said Stevens had deliberately shot two arrows into his yard, aiming them towards his bird aviaries.

The victim said the defendant then entered his yard, approached him and refused to leave when asked to, which led to a verbal argument.

Police questioned Stevens about the matter and the defendant said he had been "mucking around" with his son in their own backyard, shooting a bow and arrow when they accidentally shot two over the fence.

He admitted that he entered the yard without permission to retrieve the arrows and did not leave when asked because he believed there were "no laws to say I can't go into someone else's yard."

About six weeks later and on the afternoon of August 2, police observed the defendant leaving a motel on Bourbong St.

Stevens made eye contact with the officers briefly, before walking towards a black Holden, where he proceeded to sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle with the door left open for some time.

Aware of another person who was supplying dangerous drugs from the same motel, police exited their vehicle, approached the defendant and began asking him questions about where he had been.

Providing vague responses to police, Stevens repeatedly looked at a backpack which was sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle, causing police to ask if he had anything to declare.

Admitting to having cannabis with him, the defendant said he was not aware it was a criminal offence to possess it.

Conducting a search of the vehicle, police found four clipseal bags inside a plastic container, containing a total of 119g of cannabis, as well as an additional 15g in the centre console, making it a total of 134g.

Police also found a bong and when they questioned the defendant about it, he said it wasn't his but he knew what it had been used for and that it was in his car.

Later on September 9, police executed a search warrant as part of an investigation relating to another person, but Stevens was also present at the time.

Multiple drug related items were found on the property, including two glass pipes, digital scales and a cutting piece which had been used to cut up cannabis.

The defendant said he owned one of glass pipes but was unsure who owned the other one.

But that wasn't all police discovered in Stevens' possession, also finding a 100ml bottle of liquid nicotine, Seroquel tablets and explosive ammunition.

When asked why the defendant had liquid nicotine, which is considered an illegal substance as it has the potential to cause poisoning if swallowed or absorbed through the skin, he said it was for his baby.

Stevens said his ex-partner purchased it online and he was unaware it was illegal to possess it.

Four small orange-coloured Seroquel tablets were discovered in a small clipseal bag, which the defendant said he did not have a prescription for, but had been given them by a friend as he had been having trouble sleeping and made him feel 'drowsy, like Valium'.

A box containing 15 Federal American Eagle Centerfire handgun cartridges was also found, to which Stevens was unable to provide any reason as to why the ammunition was in the house.

Telling police he wasn't sure who the cartridges belonged to and didn't know how they got there, the defendant denied owning them himself.

Living in Bundaberg for most of his life, the defendant's defence lawyer said this year had been a difficult one for Stevens.

The court heard the father-of-two children, aged 18 months and 10 years old, had experienced an acrimonious break-up with his previous partner and the mother of his youngest child.

After he was involved in a car crash, which destroyed his vehicle, the defendant found it difficult to travel, particularly to and from work.

Despite this challenge, the 32-year-old defendant has held on to his job, where he works for a family member's business.

The defendant's defence lawyer said Stevens acknowledges what he did is wrong and accepts he should have left his neighbour's yard when he was first asked to do so.

He said the defendant and his neighbour initially got along, but over time began to dislike each other, which may have contributed to this confrontation.

IN BUNDY COURT: Daniel Stevens.

Man avoids jail for stabbing stranger who tried to help kid

A DISTRICT court judge has told a man he should "count himself lucky" to not be going back to jail after stabbing a man through the arm.

Bradley Kohler, 38, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court to one count of unlawful wounding and driving without due care and attention.

On August 18 in 2017 Kohler went to a home in Horton near Childers to collect some money that had been arranged for him to pick up but the homeowner was not home.

When Kohler knocked on the door he suspected a child might be home and used "obscene" language saying he was coming in.

The victim, who lived nearby, approached Kohler knowing that a young child was home on their own.

He and Kohler were not known to each other.

The victim told Kohler in "blunt terms" that he should leave and Kohler produced a knife threatening to stab him.

The victim backed away and Kohler rushed towards him.

The pair then struggled, with Kohler being punched a few times.

When he and the victim got up, Kohler stabbed him in the tricep leaving an exit wound through the bicep.

When the knife was removed the victim ran onto the road and Kohler got in his car, driving towards the victim.

The victim ran into a paddock and the car struck him on the leg causing him to fall over.

Kohler then reversed the car towards him before the victim was eventually able to get up back to his home.

Crown prosecutor Carla Ahern told the court last year the man spent 143 days in pre-sentence custody after being picked up by police for failing to appear in court.

Ms Ahern said while the man's plea was timely, he did exposed himself to a further term of actual imprisonment.

Kohler's barrister Nick Larter told the court his client arrived at the property calm and in good faith.

Mr Larter said the knife used in the incident was in a sheath on Kohler's belt and it was used for his work at the time.

 

Tradie blows over after brainstorming with a few beers

A BUNDABERG man has blamed dodgy car parts, his friends and a 48-hour illness for two drink driving charges and failing to appear in court.

Appearing in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court, Darren Lesley Marks pleaded guilty to the three charges, but not without explaining his side of the story.

Police intercepted the defendant on August 11, about 11.25pm, when he was driving his car on Heidke St, despite being the holder of a probationary licence at the time.

A roadside test was conducted, returning a positive reading of 0.081%, which is over the general limit, but not above mid-range.

Marks told the court that he had ordered a new car part from Western Australia and it took five weeks to arrive, but he'd had trouble with it ever since.

He said he was parked in the Stockland Shopping Centre car park at the time, when his car kept emitting black smoke, so he decided to head over to the pub and have a "brain storm" over a few beers.

When the defendant returned to his car, it was after 11pm and he felt concerned about leaving his vehicle as all the lights had gone out in that area.

So, he decided to move it to another part of the car park.

Marks said he considered hiring a driver but was concerned about the black smoke and believed he had only travelled 100m when police intercepted him.

Later that month on August 21, the defendant was again intercepted by police, where he admitted that he had consumed "a few drinks at a few places in the Bundaberg area."

The court heard police recognised a strong smell of alcohol coming from the defendant and he returned a positive alcohol reading of 0.130%.

Marks said he was with two female friends who had agreed to take him and his pet dog, who was waiting outside in the defendant's car, home.

But he said when they dropped him at his car, they reversed back out of the car park and left the defendant stranded with his dog.

The defendant said he waited for 45 minutes for his cab to arrive, but it never did and although he considered walking home, he didn't think it was a wise decision as it was close to 3am.

Without reasonable cause, the defendant then failed to surrender into custody at the Bundaberg Magistrates Court in September and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On October 20, police arrested Marks at his home address and he was transported to the Bundaberg watch-house.

The defendant said he was unable to appear as he had become unwell with a "48-hour bug" and phoned the courthouse on the afternoon of his appearance to explain the circumstances.

Marks said he was told that he should have phoned the morning of his appearance, rather than the afternoon as the warrant had already been issued during court proceedings, but he said he was unable to do that as he was bedridden at the time.

IN BUNDY COURT: Darren Marks.

Man blames list of charges on girlfriend

When Daniel Leslay Clarke, 21, appeared in the Bundaberg Magistrate Court this week, he pleaded guilty to a total of 14 charges, but said he "just took the rap for most" of the offences as a favour to his ex-partner.

Dating back to May last year, the lengthy list of charges included five counts of stealing, two counts of public nuisance, two counts of trespassing and one count each of fraud, attempted fraud, common assault, contravene police direction and possessing drug utensils.

In May last year, the court heard Clarke entered a Target store in Brisbane's North Lakes Shopping Centre with a female companion.

He then approached the store manager, acted in an aggressive manner and verbally abused her, causing her to retreat to her office in fear.

Four days later, the defendant returned to the store, yelled loudly throughout the store and ignored the same staff member when she attempted to serve him with a banning notice.

Clarke also committed a trespassing offence by ignoring a banning notice already in place at another store in Morayfield Shopping Centre in June last year.

That same month, the defendant contravened police orders to attend a drug aversion program, with Clarke telling police he couldn't go because he wanted to go to his brother's birthday party instead.

Between July 2 and August 30 last year, he trespassed at a private property at Caboolture, which was unoccupied at the time and awaiting repairs.

The owner reported the incident to police and a forensic examination identified the defendant's finger prints on a glass door inside the property.

When police spoke with Clarke about the incident, he admitted that he slept there overnight on August 28 as he was homeless at the time and knew the house was unoccupied.

Police received inquiries about a property and arrived at the address on July 30, where they located an electronic grinder in the garage and the defendant admitted to using it to cut up marijuana so he could smoke it.

In September, Clarke entered a Kmart store located in Chermside, Brisbane and began filling an empty shopping trolley with numerous items.

The defendant then left the store without attempting to pay for the items, valued at $339 and returned to the store about 20 minutes later, requesting a refund for the stolen goods.

Suspicious about the situation, the shop attendant refused to process a refund and the defendant left the store with the goods.

He was later found by police and admitted to stealing the store goods which were still in his possession.

After relocating back to Bundaberg, where he had lived as a child, Clarke then attempted to steal items from the local Kmart store at Hinkler Shopping Centre in November.

Entering the store about midday, he placed a large, wireless speaker in his trolley, along with two tents and other household furnishings.

He then left the store without paying for the products and returned to the store about 15 minutes later to claim a refund for the stolen goods valued at $378, using old receipts.

The defendant received two store gift vouchers, each valued at $189.99 and upon exiting the store, was captured on security cameras.

Police were called in regards to the incident and upon speaking with Clarke, he told them "it was a stupid thing to do."

Later that month, the defendant entered the JB Hi-Fi store in Bundaberg with his girlfriend at the time and browsed the aisles for a short duration of time.

Staff became suspicious of the pair's behaviour and alerted the store manager, who observed them on the store's security system from his office.

The defendant became agitated for no apparent reason and started giving rude hand gestures to the instore security cameras.

When the store manager left his office and requested Clarke leave due to his behaviour, the defendant barged past him, dropping his shoulder into him and causing him to stumble backwards.

The victim did not sustain any injuries but notified police of the incident.

This year in January, the defendant and his girlfriend at the time entered Garden City Shopping Centre in Mt Gravatt, Brisbane and stole a pair of Prada sunglasses from Sunglasses Hut, an Adidas bag from Rebel Sports and some clothing from David Jones.

Clarke, who was diagnosed with Aspergus and ADHD and currently not on any medication, said his girlfriend was responsible for most of the charges but he was "taking the rap" for her.

He said his mother, who now lives in Sydney, introduced him to criminal offending from a young age and as he has been homeless for most of his adult life, has used those skills to survive as he had no source of income for 12 to 18 months.

 

'Good boy' tells court marijuana was for pain

Police intercepted Matthew Ivan Neylon at Agnes Water on August 27 and found he was possessing 6.5g of marijuana and a drug utensil.

When asked why he had the items, the defendant said he was suffering from a sore back and wanted to stop the pain, but the drugs didn't help.

In a bid to lessen the fine, Neylon requested he attend drug aversion therapy for his actions, but it was denied as the court and police had already ordered this on two separate occasions, making him ineligible on a third occasion.

Matthew Ivan Neylon appeared in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on two drug related charges.

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