Because he was jailed, Anthony Burns won’t have to pay $10,000 loss and damages

He had been out of jail on parole just four months when he embarked on his latest crime spree in Toowoomba and Oakey.

Serving a jail sentence has saved an Oakey man from a $10,000 loss and damage bill.

Copping an 18-month jail term has spared an Oakey man from paying more than $10,000 in restitution for damage and loss.

Anthony John Burns, 31, had only been out of jail on parole for four months when he began his latest crime spree, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

Those offences included seven counts of stealing, burglary and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Police prosecutor Bettina Trenear told the court one of the more serious of Burns’ crimes was the burglary of a home in Oakey on April 14 where he had ripped off a security screen to gain access and then rummaged through the house, stealing a number of items including a TV and Xbox.

The loss and damage bill from that was $1800, she said.

The insurance company had also sought $9710 for damage to a car to which Burns had pleaded guilty to the unlawful use.

However, Acting Magistrate Roger Stark noted that in the agreed schedule of facts, damage to that vehicle was referred to as “minor”.

Ms Trenear said Burns had been sentenced to two years in jail by the same court in February last year for similar offending and he was on parole when he committed these 11 offences.

Solicitor Joe Millican, for Burns, said his client had endured a deprived upbringing and had been exposed to alcohol abuse and violence at an early age.

His client had been addicted to morphine at 15 and drug addiction had driven this offending, he said.

“In his words, he feels like he’s in a dark tunnel with no light,” Mr Millican said.

However, he had been seeking counselling while in custody.

Mr Stark said because he would impose a custodial term, he would not order any restitution.

Taking into account it was taking the Parole Board up to eight months to hear parole applications and declaring 77 days pre-sentence custody as time served, Mr Stark sentenced Burns to 18 months in jail but ordered he be eligible to apply for release on parole on October 30.