Harrison Jon Gardner and Blair Edwin Taylor sentenced for being party to car theft and arson

The pair aged 21 and 20 respectively were found by the court to be “vulnerable to the influence of others” and not the principle offenders.

Two intellectually impaired young Toowoomba men lured into the arson of a stolen motor vehicle have each been placed on probation without convictions recorded.

Judge Dennis Lynch KC found Harrison Jon Gardner, 21, and Blair Edwin Taylor, 20, to be “vulnerable to the influence of others”.

The pair met and became friends while attending Clifford Park Special School and on the evening of October 23, 2020, had been drinking together when a third man arrived in what was later found to be a stolen car, Toowoomba District Court heard.

The 22-year-old driver of the car took them to a party in Kingsthorpe and then later drove them onto Goombungee where he told Taylor to put some grass into the vehicle which the third man then allegedly set alight.

Gardner and Taylor each pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a motor vehicle and arson of a motor vehicle.

Gardner also pleaded guilty to producing cannabis arising from police finding images of cannabis plants on his phone and to helping another person steal property including a quadbike from a Crows Nest property.

His barrister Frank Martin told the court due to Gardner’s diagnosed epilepsy and ADHD he did not use drugs and had been simply watering the plants for friends.

All of the property his client was responsible for taking from the Crows Nest home had been returned, Mr Martin said.

Because of his mental health issues his client trusted people, was easily led and was prone to showing off, he said.

Both Taylor and Gardner offered to pay compensation if the Crown could arrive at a figure, Mr Martin submitted.

Both defendants were working, the court heard.

Judge Lynch said he accepted neither defendant was the principle offender and each was being sentenced on the grounds of being a party to the theft and arson of the vehicle.

He placed each on two years probation with no convictions recorded.

“You’re both being given an opportunity to get on with your lives and put this behind you,” Judge Lynch told the pair.

The third accused is yet to appear in court.