Oakey, Toowoomba dad Dwayne Anthony Pender jailed for Oakey service station ram raid

An Oakey dad has been jailed after he was sentenced for his involvement in a destructive ram raid of an Oakey business and a raft of other crimes, including the theft of five cars.

Dwayne Anthony Pender

An Oakey dad who was involved in a number of concerning and destructive crimes across the Toowoomba region has been sentenced to a two-and-a-half year jail term.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told the most serious crime committed by Dwayne Anthony Pender was a ram-raid that occurred at Cambooya on Anzac Day, 2023.

Locked up: Oakey man Dwayne Pender, 28, will be eligible for parole on May 7, 2024.

Magistrate Louise Shephard said Pender and an associate used a stolen car to smash their way into a service station before stealing an ATM which they strapped to the car’s tow bar.

Ms Shephard noted a day prior, Pender used the same stolen car to ram his way into a different business, however on that occasion, he drove through a fence.

The court was told the 28-year-old also stole a number of cars, clothing from Grand Central Shopping Centre, invaded people’s homes, and fraudulently sold stolen copper wire pocketing more than $5000.

The ram raid at the United Fuel service station on the New England Highway on April 25, 2023.

Solicitor Alysha Jacobsen said the Dubbo-born man struggled with a drug problem – ice and heroin.

She noted he completed a year 10 certificate while in jail, and attempted to get involved with other rehabilitation programs while serving time, however waiting lists were lengthy.

At Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, December 4, Pender pleaded guilty to 18 charges which included five counts of unlawful use, breaking into premises to commit an indictable offences, stealing, and fraud.

The 105 days Pender spent in custody was declared as time served, and his parole eligibility was set to May 7, 2024.