Oakey man Brock Aiden Dornbusch pleads guilty in Toowoomba Magistrates Court to 42 offences

A Toowoomba court has been told an 18-year-old man, who stole 11 cars, was involved in a large-scale organised car theft operation. Here’s how the criminals were getting away with it.

Oakey teenager Brock Aiden Dornbusch has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to 42 charges which included the theft of 11 vehicles.

The 18-year-old was arrested in late May, alongside a co-accused Michael Stephen Patch-Metzroth, after police deployed road spikes to stop the stolen vehicle the pair were travelling in.

Police continued to search for another man who was allegedly involved – his father Bartholomew Peter Dornbusch.

However, when police tracked down Dornbusch senior hours later, he allegedly rammed and seriously injured police officers with a stolen truck.

Bartholomew Peter Dornbusch (bottom right), accused of attempted murder after a bloody rampage in an alleged stolen truck left a police officer seriously injured.

Police prosecutor Anita Page said the 18-year-old was on parole at the time for similar offending.

Ms Page said the crime was serious, and caused a great deal of harm to the community and victims.

“Major deterrence is required,” she said.

Solicitor Brad Skuse said he did not disagree that prison was warranted, however he asked that Dornbusch be given a parole release date.

He said Dornbusch had an issue with drugs and his mother recently died in tragic circumstances.

The Skuse Graham Criminal Lawyers managing partner said Dornbusch had previously intended to move away from band influences and start afresh after his last release from custody, however his parole would not allow it.

Magistrate Clare Kelly said the town of Oakey seemed to be at the centre of the planned stolen car operation that Dornbusch and a number of other people were involved in.

Mr Skuse agreed, however noted it was occurring within a 50km radius of Toowoomba and Oakey including towns such as Pittsworth.

The magistrate said there was a level of premeditation involved in the thefts, noting the criminals would swap number plates for ones that matched the vehicle and would also swap the cars.

Dornbusch pleaded guilty to the 42 charges which included unlawful use of a motor vehicle, evading police, dangerous operation of a vehicle, break and enter, trespass, fraud, and drug possession.

At Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday afternoon, July 31, he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, and disqualified from driving for two years.

He was also sentenced to an additional six months’ imprisonment to run cumulatively with the pre-existing sentence he breached.

He will be eligible to apply for parole on August 31.

One of his co-accused, Michael Patch-Metzroth, also pleaded guilty to the unlawful use of a number of cars, however, he will be sentenced on August 4.

His father remains in custody for his alleged offences and has not yet entered a plea.