Cyrus Jack Bunting sentenced at Kingaroy Magistrates Court

A Brisbane man has pleaded guilty to 35 charges at Kingaroy after a crime spree which included driving a stolen tractor on the highway, evading police and pulling a knife on a farmer.

A Brisbane man pleaded guilty to 35 charges at Kingaroy after he drove a stolen tractor on the highway, evaded police and held a farmer at knifepoint in a ‘drug fuelled crime spree’.

A Brisbane auto electrician has been jailed over “drug fuelled crime spree” which included almost three dozen offences including driving a stolen tractor on the highway and pulling a knife on a farmer.

Cyrus Jack Bunting, appearing in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Friday via videolink from Maryborough Corrections Centre, pleaded guilty to 35 charges as a result of the spree which lasted for a week and stretched from the South Burnett to Caboolture.

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His offences included 11 counts of driving without a license disqualified by a court order, three charges of evading police powers, four charges of unlawfully operating a vehicle, six charges of stealing, one charge of possessing utensils and pipes intended for drug use, one charge of serious assault person over 60, two charges of trespassing unlawfully, one charge of entering premises and committing indictable offence, one charge of entering with intent and one charge of failing to take reasonable care in respect of a syringe or needle.

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The court heard between January 25 2023 and February 1 2023 the 28 year old engaged in petrol drive offs, drove stolen vehicles at high speed while evading police and endangered the public.

The spree began in Benarkin where Bunting was driving a stolen vehicle near a camping area.

He lost traction, slid into the vicinity of campers and drove away at a high speed, the court heard.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said later that day there was BMW, stolen by Bunting from a farmer, spotted driving to Caboolture.

“When in Caboolture a number of police officers tried to stop you, you struck another vehicle and sped off over a bollard,” Mr Sinclair said.

“You came back to Nanango that day and stole petrol, while driving unlicensed.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair sentenced Cyrus Jack Bunting over a string of crimes including stealing a tractor from an elderly Glan Devon farmer and driving it on the highway at night.

“A couple of days later you went to another bottle shop and stole some Bundy cans and took off in that vehicle, accelerated out of the car park and hit another car,” he said.

On January 31 2023 Bunting was hitchhiking and picked up by someone he knew.

“You repaid them by stealing their vehicle,” Mr Sinclair said.

Mr Sinclair said later that day Bunting stole a tractor from an elderly Glan Devon farmer and drove it on the highway at night.

“To take a vehicle of that nature onto the highway is indeed quite dangerous, it’s also a valuable tool used by the farmer to earn his living, even though it’s not a fast getaway vehicle,” Mr Sinclair said.

“On the next day you were back at the property and when his son confronted you, you pulled out a knife before making a getaway through the neighbour's yard,” he said.

The court heard Bunting became homeless after he developed an addiction to drugs.

Mr Sinclair sentenced Bunting to 18 months imprisonment over the “drug fuelled crime spree” and disqualified him from driving for three years.

Bunting will be eligible for an early release on June 1 2023, having already spent 59 days in custody.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Cyrus Jack Bunting sentenced at Kingaroy Magistrates Court