Quenten Kyle Kirk drug drove into East Street parked car and then fled with what looked like a firearm
In the early hours of August 9, a Rockhampton man crashed into a parked car with such force it spun 180 degrees. He then fled the scene on foot, with what witnesses thought was a gun. Read how the incident unfolded here.
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A man who crashed into a parked car in Rockhampton’s CBD, causing it to spin 180 degrees, fled the scene with what witnesses thought was a gun.
However, the 31-year-old mine worker was actually carrying a gel blaster.
Quenten Kyle Kirk pleaded guilty on September 1 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to 19 charges which were accumulated between May and August 2021 and included dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Kirk crashed into a parked car on East Street, at Depot Hill, about 7am on August 9, causing the parked car to spin 180 degrees.
Kirk fled the scene, with what witnesses thought was a firearm, through a vacant lot and headed towards the riverbank and throughout Depot Hill.
The court heard Kirk had possession of a gel blaster. Magistrates Philippa Beckinsale said gel blasters were classified as a restricted item because they looked like real firearms and caused people fear.
Police prosecutor Courtney Brown said Kirk appeared to have a drug issue having been sentenced in June for possessing drugs and more drug possession charges were among the 19 he was in court for on September 1.
She said Kirk was lucky no one was in the parked car at the time he crashed into it.
“The 180 degree spin would have caused injury to a passenger had there been one in there,” Ms Brown said.
Defence lawyer Rebecca Winning said Kirk had worked at BHP mines for two of the four years he had worked in mining, and had also worked for RoadTek for eight years.
She said mid this year, his long term relationship broke down.
“He went off the rails,” Ms Winning said.
She said there had been an eight-year gap between offences on his criminal record.
Kirk was found in possession of small quantities of methamphetamines and marijuana on May 26, along with a pipe and a billy club.
He was intercepted driving with drugs in his system on June 22 and in possession of drug paraphernalia.
On June 29, he drove an unregistered and uninsured vehicle after the vehicle’s registration expired 10 days earlier.
He was intercepted driving on July 1 while his licence was State Penalties Enforcement Registry suspended and he was in possession of 0.3 grams of marijuana.
After the East Street crash, for which he was also SPER suspended, Kirk was found in possession of a small amount of meth, restricted drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Ms Winning said Kirk planned to relocate to Gladstone after his release from prison, to live with his mother and his sister.
Ms Beckinsale sentenced Kirk to six months prison with immediate parole, along with two years probation, $1650 in fines and disqualified from driving for five years.
Convictions were recorded.
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Originally published as Quenten Kyle Kirk drug drove into East Street parked car and then fled with what looked like a firearm