Serial petrol thief steals fuel from five servos in one week

A MAN has been sentenced in a Kingaroy court to prison time after looping around southeast Queensland without a licence, stealing petrol along the way.

A serial petrol thief will face jail time after he committed 11 offences - including fuel theft and disqualified driving - in a single week. File Photo.

A SERIAL petrol thief has run up the metre on his jail time, after filling his tank with stolen fuel from five different petrol stations around South East Queensland.

Appearing via video link before Kingaroy Magistrates Court today, Nathan Hall pleaded guilty to 12 offences, including petrol theft, continuous disqualified driving, and a drug charge.

On May 13, 2020, Hall was charged after police located a mobile phone, reasonably suspected of having been used in the commission of a drug offence, on his person at Brisbane City.

On July 18, 2020, he filled up his car at Appletree Creek to the amount of $56.58, before driving off without paying.

That same day, Hall drove a car on the Bruce Highway, and at the time he was disqualified from driving by court order.

On July 28, 2020, filled his tank his petrol from Caltex Petrol Station at Yarraman and left without paying the owed amount of $40.35.

That same day, police intercepted him while driving on Toomey Street at Yarraman, and at the time he was disqualified from driving by court order. Later that day, at Blacksoil, he failed to stop when indicated by a police officer and was subsequently charged disqualified driving.

On July 29, 2020, Hall stole $61.72 worth of fuel from United Petrol Station on Youngman Street, Kingaroy.

That same day, he stole $56.03 worth fuel from Puma Narangba. He was later intercepted by police on Mackie Road and charged with driving while disqualified.

On July 31, 2020, he again stole fuel, this time from the Caltex petrol station at Morayfield, amounting to $53.45.

That same day, he was intercepted by police and charged with driving while disqualified.

"The disqualified driving warrants between six and nine months, given the brazen attitude and contempt for the court order that he's not to drive," police prosecutor Pepe Gangemi said.

According to Sgt Gangemi, at the time of these offences Hall was already on parole, with the order was set to expire in April 2021.

"This is another sad story about use of Ice," Hall's defence lawyer Jay Rose said.

"Five years he's been offending, all related to a relationship breakdown," Ms Rose said.

"He simply follows his addiction pattern, wherever he needs to go. He gets petrol, doesn't pay for it, steals cars, and goes and uses drugs while he's on parole."

"I don't understand the addiction to ICE, we've had frank discussions about that. He's only going to spend a life in prison if he continues his use when he's released."

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said looking at Hall's criminal history, prior to 2016 he had committed very few offences, taking a downward spiral in the past four years.

"From 2016 to 2018, you then started to go off the rails with charges for stealing and possession of drugs and drug utensils," Magistrate Sinclair said.

"Until you beat that ICE addiction, it's likely you'll continue to face the same sorts of problems and these periods of imprisonment will get longer and longer."

For possessing to the mobile phone, Hall was sentenced to two months imprisonment and must forfeit the seized item.

For stealing at Appletree Creek, he was sentenced to two months imprisonment and ordered to pay $56.68 compensation. For the disqualified driving at Appletree Creek, he was sentenced to three months imprisonment and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for two years.

For stealing fuel at Yarraman, he was sentenced to two months imprisonment and ordered to pay $40.35 compensation to the complainant. For the disqualified driving at Yarraman, he was sentenced to three months in prison and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for two years.

For the disqualified driving at Blacksoil, he was sentenced to three months imprisonment and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for two years. For evading police he was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

For stealing from United Petrol at Kingaroy, he was sentenced to two months imprisonment and ordered to pay $61.72 compensation.

For stealing from Narangba, he was sentenced to two months imprisonment and ordered to pay $56.03 compensation.

For driving on Mackie Road while disqualified, he was disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for two years.

For stealing fuel at Morayfield, he was sentenced to two months imprisonment and ordered to pay $53.45 compensation to the complainant. For disqualified driving, he was sentenced to a further three months imprisonment and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for two years.

The prison sentences will be served concurrently, adding up to a six month head sentence, with Hall's parole release date set for March 2, 2021.

Convictions were recorded and all fines referred to SPER.

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