Named: Serial Toowoomba car thief released from jail
A serial Toowoomba car thief, who went on the run after a photo of him holding a stolen rifle was posted to social media, has been released back into the community.
Police & Courts
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A young man has been released from prison after spending 10 months behind bars for a number of crimes relating to car thefts and home invasions that occurred throughout Toowoomba and Brisbane.
A court heard Eric Lionel Hall committed a crime spree one week after he was released from parole on September 13, 2022.
Hall’s solicitor Alysha Jacobsen, told the court he went on the run after he learnt his friends posted a photo of him holding a stolen gun to social media, because he feared his parole would be revoked.
A three month property crime spree ensued, however the court heard the Toowoomba man left his DNA at a number of burglaries, one of which occurred in Cleveland.
Magistrate Louise Shephard said it was extremely concerning Hall was found in possession of a semiautomatic handgun and pictured with a rifle stolen from a rural property alongside ammunition.
The now 20-year-old was not connected to break and enters where the gun safe was stolen.
At the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, December 4, Hall pleaded guilty to 12 crimes which included breaking into homes to commit an indictable offence, unlawful possession of a gun, receiving a stolen gun, stealing cars and fuel, possessing drug utensils, and breaching a probation order.
Ms Jacobsen told the court Hall was on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and had a very low IQ, which was in part due to head injuries sustained as a child.
She said because Hall’s parents were institutionalised, he was raised by his grandmother, however his dad died in 2022 and his mother returned to custody in late November 2023.
Hall was sentenced to a 12 month jail term wholly suspended for 18 months, and his driver’s license suspended for one month.
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