Car thief, 19, behind a spate of break-ins from Toowoomba to Brisbane released from jail

A teenage car thief has walked free from court after pleading guilty to 38 property crimes, including stealing vehicles and breaking into homes from Toowoomba to Brisbane.

Recidivist Toowoomba car thief and home invader Isaiah Paul Weatherall, 19, has been released from custody after spending about 11 months on remand.

A recidivist southwest Queensland car thief has been released from jail after pleading guilty to a raft of property crimes.

Isaiah Cyril Paul Weatherall, 19, appeared at the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, December 8, and pleaded guilty to 38 property offences.

Of those charges, six related to the theft of cars, eight burglaries, 13 attempted break-ins, and 14 enter premises charges.

The court heard the young Cunnamulla and Toowoomba man had a relevant criminal history and committed the spate of crimes across the Darling Downs region at night and in company.

Recidivist Toowoomba car thief and home invader Isaiah Paul Weatherall, 19, has been released from custody after spending about 11 months on remand.

Magistrate Mark Howden said, given the seriousness and persistence of Weatherall’s offending, he was surprised the matter wasn’t being dealt with before the higher courts so that a lengthier jail term could be imposed.

“My initial thoughts were… it may be beyond the jurisdiction of this court to sentence him,” he said.

“I would have thought that within range would be a sentence higher than three years, which is the maximum I can give him.”

Weatherall’s legal team attempted to have the case admitted to the District Court, however the court did not hear why the case was knocked back to the Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Mr Howden said Weatherall’s crime was akin to a crime wave given the enormity of his offences, which spanned from Toowoomba to Brisbane.

He noted one of the victims, a woman, woke to the sound of her car keys being snatched from her bedside table, and although a number of homeowners caught Weatherall in the act, he was not deterred.

“Quite frankly, (he’s) been a menace for some time now, and it was only when he was taken into custody on the 24th of January that the offending has stopped,” he said.

“These are exactly the sorts of offences that have led to the law being changed in respect to young people.

“The community asks the courts to consider its views for people like Mr Weatherall who persistently commit very serious offences where they break into people’s houses in groups of more than one and steal their cars.”

The Toowoomba court house.

Magistrate Howden said Weatherall had some mitigating features on his side, including his young age, time in custody, work history, plea, disadvantaged upbringing, and a supportive family.

However, he said a lengthy jail term was the only fitting sentence to reflect the seriousness of the crime and deter others.

“It must send him a message that if he’s going to do this, the courts will impose significant terms of imprisonment,” he warned.

Weatherall was sentenced to a three year jail term and released on parole after serving 318 days in pre-sentence custody, which were declared time served.

The court heard that upon his release from jail, Weatherall intended to work on a cattle property in Cunnamulla away from peers who were a bad influence.