Mount Morgan technician Jesse Neil Maher faces court for intrusion

A Central Queensland man who started using drugs at 12 now has a three-page criminal history stealing from people’s cars and businesses.

Jesse Neil Maher.

A Mount Morgan hose technician with a three-page criminal record has been caught searching through people’s cars and stealing from businesses, including Telstra in Brisbane City.

Jesse Neil Maher, 24, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on July 7 to six counts of possessing dangerous drugs, two counts each of enter premises and commiting an indictable offence, enter premises and commit indictable offence by break and stealing.

He also had one count each of attempting to enter premises with intent to commit indictable offence, possessing a knife in a public place, possessing property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence and buying or possessing medicines or hazardous poisons.

Police prosecutor Clancy Fox said the offences were opportunistic stealing from businesses, such as Aldi.

In detailing one of the offences, Mr Fox said Maher was squatting near Telstra in Brisbane City when he entered the business on November 15, 2022 and stole numerous tools and keys from a worker.

He said the tools, which were “quite expensive”, were returned but the keys were outstanding.

He said the keys were of “particular significance” and had “implications of security for multiple other dwellings because of that”.

He said other offences included Maher “searching through cars to take what little property was available”.

“All of the offences before the court are consistent with somebody who is suffering under issues with his mental health,” he said.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client started using marijuana when he was 12 years old and used the drug heavily from the age of 17.

Ms Legrady said her client started smoking amphetamines when he was 20 years old and that he had stopped for a period but was using quite heavily, three to four points a day, prior to November 2022.

She said her client doesn’t remember a great deal of anything at the time.

The court heard Maher had remained abstinent of illicit drugs and had a desire to stay away from drugs.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale sentenced Maher to six months’ prison, wholly suspended for 18 months.

Maher was also fined $200, ordered to probation for two years and ordered to pay $308.90 restitution.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Mount Morgan technician Jesse Neil Maher faces court for intrusion