John Paul Rose sentenced in Roma Magistrates Court after stealing farm machinery

A Roma businessman has fallen from grace stealing machinery from Maranoa businesses following an ugly divorce that left him deep in debt.

John Paul Rose was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for three years, and ordered to pay $27,000 restitution to his victims. Photo: Jacklyn O'Brien.

For years, John Paul Rose was a valued member of the Roma community, a successful businessman who earned awards for his service to the community.

However in 2019, following the breakdown of his marriage, Rose was left owing his ex-wife hundreds of thousands of dollars, which a court was told led him towards a life of crime.

On May 16 2024, he stood in the Roma Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, wholly suspended, for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and machinery from Roma businesses.

Rose’s defence barrister Scott Lynch, said Rose’s offending was catalysed after the break down of his marriage in 2019.

John Paul Rose was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for three years, and ordered to pay $27,000 restitution to his victims. Photo: Jacklyn O'Brien.

Rose, 50, pleaded guilty on May 16 to seven charges, including two counts of receiving tainted property, two counts of stealing a vehicle, one count of wilful damage, one count of possessing dangerous drugs, and one of possessing utensils.

Mr Lynch told the court after the breakdown of Rose’s marriage, Rose was required to pay his ex-wife a substantial sum.

To pay out his ex-wife, Rose sold his significant business, and the house he had bought for his parents years before.

“All of his assets were sold, and there was a shortfall of about $350,000,” Mr Lynch said.

“He borrowed from a non-conventional lender, with extraordinary rates thinking that he could repay the sum.

“He didn’t have access to income-earning assets. Under extraordinary pressure, this offending occurred.”

The court was told that the equipment was stolen from multiple earthworks and construction businesses in Roma, much of which was recovered on or near Rose’ property across two police searches.

While the trailer could not be quantified, an investigator valued the front-end loader at between $105,000 to $125,000, the Bobcat between $95,000 and $115,000, and the Caterpillar loader between $60,000 to $80,000.

Police prosecutor Ellysha Geddes said Rose had gone to significant efforts to “conceal the theft,” including making attempts to “rebirth” the machinery.

“(This) included removing stickers, removing a number plate, removing other parts of the machinery that could identify it,” Ms Geddes said.

John Paul Rose was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for three years, and ordered to pay $27,000 restitution to his victims. Photo: Jacklyn O'Brien.

The chop shop operation was brought undone as more people reported their machinery missing, and Rose was captured on CCTV stealing one of the pieces of equipment.

Ms Geddes said that as Rose accumulated the pieces of machinery, it became harder to hide from the public.

Ms Geddes said Rose denied knowledge of the theft at the time of the first police search, after which the court was told Rose went to “great lengths” to hide the other parts and machinery the police didn’t find.

The court was told Rose also dissected parts of machinery, and welded other parts together, all in an attempt to hide his crime.

Ms Geddes also said when police seized Rose’s phone, they found text messages with his partner which “inferred knowledge of discussion about what it was he was doing”.

During the searches at Rose’s property, police also found methamphetamine and a glass pipe.

Ms Geddes said Rose did not co-operate during the investigation and prosecution of the matter, which absorbed substantial police resources.

She also said that while some of the victim businesses had been able to receive compensation from their insurers, others were forced to operate at a loss, and incur substantial costs due to Rose’s offending.

While some of the machinery was able to be returned, the cost of repairs due to Rose’s attempts at rebirthing the equipment was estimated to be substantial.

Rose’s offending seems to have been quite the fall from grace for a previously upstanding community member,

Rose’s defence Barrister, Mr Lynch, said he has contributed in many ways to his community.

“He has been involved in the auxiliary fire service, and also involved for a long period of time … in the SES,” Mr Lynch said.

“He has employed many people in the community.”

The court also heard Rose has been the recipient of multiple achievement awards for his service to the community.

Magistrate Michael Woods described the offending as “calculated but ultimately unsophisticated”.

Mr Woods took into consideration that Rose is the father of two adult children, and one newborn baby with his new partner. Rose also has a scant criminal history, with only one dishonesty conviction in 1992.

Rose was sentenced to two years imprisonment, wholly suspended, with an operational period of three years.

Originally published as John Paul Rose sentenced in Roma Magistrates Court after stealing farm machinery