Calum Braydin Luckel faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for removing tracking device and avoiding cops for three months

A 28-year-old who removed an electronic ankle bracelet, then went on the run for more than three months, has revealed in court why he remained at large for so long.

A 28-year-old man on bail who cut off his electronic tracking bracelet and then failed to report to police on 42 occasions has been jailed.

Calum Braydin Luckel was eventually found and taken into custody on Christmas Eve, 2022, telling police he knew there was a warrant out for his arrest but he wanted to spend Christmas with his son.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told Luckel had been released on bail in early September, 2022, with strict conditions that he report to Oakey police each Monday, Wednesday and Friday and wear an electronic ankle bracelet.

However, the bracelet was eventually found discarded in an Oakey residential yard and the 28-year-old had failed to report to police between September 6 and December 13, the court was told.

Luckel had been seen by police driving a Nissan Navara on Oakey Biddeston Rd on November 4 and had directed him to stop, however, the 28-year-old had driven on, leading to charges of unlicensed driving and evading police.

When eventually found by police, Luckel did a runner but was soon caught only to struggle free and run off again but was again tackled by police, the court heard.

Luckel appeared via video link from the prison to plead guilty to all charges.

His solicitor Claire Graham, of Skuse Graham Lawyers, told the court it was conceded her client had a relevant criminal history and that a period of imprisonment was appropriate.

However, Luckel had already served 88 days in pre-sentence custody and asked that the time in jail cancel out the 50 days custody he would normally serve for the evasion offence.

Her client’s full-time release date on previous sentences was in February 2024, she said.

Acting magistrate Kay Ryan noted these offences would add to Luckel’s eight page criminal history and sentenced him to four months in jail but, declaring the 88 days he had already served as time under the sentence, ordered he be eligible to apply for parole forthwith.

Ms Ryan told Luckel he might find it hard to convince the Parole Board to release him on parole anytime soon.