Jack Richard McDonald sentenced for repeat fraud in Proserpine

A young man has faced his fate, including a potential 20k fine, after he repeatedly stole from servos between Bowen and Yeppoon.

Jack Richard McDonald was sentenced in Proserpine Magistrates Court on June 12, 2024.

A Whitsundays man has faced his fate for repeatedly stealing fuel from more than 20 different petrol stations over a five month period.

But this was just a quarter of the charges Jack Richard McDonald was facing, while his parents and siblings watched on from the courthouse in Proserpine.

The court heard the 25-year-old Whitsunday man’s modus operandi was consistent.

He would go to a petrol station, fill up and leave without paying, while each time he would have changed the number plate on his car.

Prosecutor Sergeant Linden Pollard said the fuel thefts had occurred between October 17 and March 21, and ranged from petrol stations in between Bowen and Yeppoon.

He told the court while the fuel thefts already represented 26 charges, McDonald had also repeatedly driven unregistered and uninsured, faced drug related charges including drug driving, as well as collected a number of charges related to the alteration of number plates.

In all, McDonald pleaded guilty to 112 charges before the Proserpine Magistrates Court.

Legal Aid solicitor Rosemary Varley told the court McDonald had lost his job as a diesel fitter in Yeppoon four months prior, and he had been struggling with drug addiction and homelessness when these events occurred.

She told the court it had not been his “intent” to “target” different fuel stations.

“He was homeless at the time and was travelling from point to point aimlessly,” she told the court.

Ms Varley also told Magistrate Michelle Howard McDonald had already spent 82 days in custody, which had been a real “wake up call” to him as it was the first time he had been remanded in custody.

She also told Ms Howard the 25-year-old still had the support of his family, who were present in the courtroom for the hearing, and he would have the opportunity to get a job at his father’s business as soon as he gets out.

Sgt Pollard, who was asked to make the math for all different offences in court while Ms Varley was speaking, said McDonald could face a $20,000 fine if all offences were considered.

Ms Varley told the magistrate such a fine would be “crushing”, and urged her to impose a fine that “reflected the criminality”.

Sgt Pollard told the court prosecution agreed with the defence’s submission to impose a smaller scale fine.

Ms Howard imposed onto McDonald a head sentence of eight months imprisonment, served in part for 82 days, that were marked as time already served.

McDonald was fined $3000, but was also ordered to pay compensation to all the petrol stations he stole from, which represented more than $5000 in all.

He was also disqualified from driving for a period of 10 months.

Originally published as Jack Richard McDonald sentenced for repeat fraud in Proserpine