Roderick Armstrong jailed after taxi cash theft, BWS Glenmore break-in
A man who flogged hundreds of dollars from a Rockhampton taxi driver later left his fingerprints at the scene of a brazen daylight bottle shop break-in, it has been revealed.
Police & Courts
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A Rockhampton father is behind bars after stealing cash from a taxi driver and booze in a bottle shop break-in while on a suspended sentence.
Roderick James Ann Armstrong, 28, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to charges including stealing, entering premises and committing indictable offence, and public nuisance.
The court heard about 2.30am on May 6 last year, a taxi picked up 10 people including Armstrong.
Police prosecutor Clancy Fox said the male taxi driver was taking the group to Carlton Street, North Rockhampton, when one of the passengers opened a rear door while the vehicle was in motion.
“This caused the driver to be distracted and he pulled the vehicle over,” Mr Fox said.
“While (the driver) was distracted, (Armstrong) exited the vehicle, walked to the driver’s side door, leaned in … and removed (the driver’s) wallet (from the centre console).”
Mr Fox said Armstrong took $300 cash out of the wallet before putting it back in the centre console and fleeing on foot.
Then between 7am and 8.30am on May 11 last year, Armstrong and a male co-offender went to BWS at Glenmore Tavern, parked a car in the drive-through, and got out of the vehicle.
Mr Fox said the co-offender threw two rocks at a sliding-glass door of the business, causing it to shatter.
“The co-offender started to kick at the glass door to gain entry,” Mr Fox said.
“(Armstrong) also pushed the glass sliding door inward and gained entry to that BWS store.”
Mr Fox said Armstrong and the co-offender ran in and out of the business several times, putting multiple bottles of spirits and cartons of pre-mix drinks into the car before leaving.
The court heard that during the break-in, Armstrong put his open palm onto the glass sliding door which ultimately was subject to forensic examination which yielded fingerprints.
The public nuisance offence happened at 6.45pm on August 8 this year.
The court heard Armstrong was arrested on Quay Street and he yelled abuse and swore at police.
He was warned a number of times about his behaviour and there were members of the public in the area at the time, Mr Fox said.
Armstrong had a five-page criminal history which included previous convictions for burglary and public nuisance, and he was on a suspended sentence at the time of committing these latest offences.
The court heard that suspended sentence had been extended multiple times due to Armstrong’s offending.
Solicitor Ashley Reynolds said Armstrong, a father of three, completed school to Year 10 and was receiving Centrelink benefits.
On August 30, Magistrate Cameron Press wholly activated the suspended sentence and sentenced Armstrong to 12 months’ and two weeks’ jail.
Parole release was fixed at November 30, 2024.
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Originally published as Roderick Armstrong jailed after taxi cash theft, BWS Glenmore break-in
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