Meth user Jason Robert Beattie jailed for Australia Post heist

A man who participated in a 13-hour long Australia Post parcel centre heist had previously “desperately” attempted to break into skill tester machines to gain cash to feed his long-standing meth addiction.

Jason Robert Beattie.

A man who participated in a 13-hour long Australia Post parcel centre heist had previously “desperately” attempted to break into skill tester machines to gain cash to feed his long-standing meth addiction.

Jason Robert Beattie, 47, was sentenced in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on March 24 for his role in the parcel heist and other offending.

He pleaded guilty to 13 offences including disqualified driving, possessing drugs and illegal possession of prescription medication.

Police prosecutor Sergeant David Longhurst said Beattie stole two skill tester machines from the Parkhurst shopping centre on January 27 about 7.40pm, taking them outside where he broke off the padlocks and attempted to break into the cash containers.

He said Beattie did return one of the machines.

Jason Robert Beattie.

Sergeant Longhurst said the recidivist offender went on to join others at the Berserker mail centre on February 25 where he took parcels and packages from the site and returned to participate in the unlawful use of an Australia Post vehicle.

He said Beattie was not the initial person to break into the mail centre and he was not the person who allegedly set fire to an Australia Post vehicle later found burnt out.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client was a passenger in the vehicle and was dropped off before it was destroyed.

Sergeant Longhurst said the Australia Post offending had an “unquantifiable” impact, with the company having to pay for extra hours of workers who had to sort through the damage and the unknown amount of parcels stolen and what those parcels contained, including items of sentimental value rather than just online purchases.

He said Australia Post was still fielding calls about missing parcels as the centre serviced the Capricornia region out to Emerald and down to Gladstone.

Two other men, Timothy Burrows, 34, and Jai Taylor White, 19, have been charged for their alleged involvement in the heist, but are yet to have their matters finalised in court.

The court heard Beattie’s 11-page criminal record included armed robbery, stealing and fraud convictions.

Beattie was on parole at the time of the offences.

Ms Legrady said the father of three and grandfather of four turned to stealing to pay for drugs.

Magistrate Grace Kahlert said the Parkhurst incident was indicative of how desperate Beattie was to feed his addiction.

She sentenced him to 2.5 years prison with parole eligibility on January 24, 2024, and disqualified him from driving for two years for each of the two disqualified driving offences.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Meth user Jason Robert Beattie jailed for Australia Post heist