Peeved off painter Ashley Dodd, 46, sentenced in Toowoomba court for 50 charges including theft, illegal driving

Banned from the roads for the rest of his life, a painter turned jailbird has been caught stealing more than $11,000 from local businesses.

Ashley Wayne Dodd, 46, pleaded guilty to 50 offences on Tuesday February 11, 2025 including stealing and disqualified driving. Picture: File

A former painter has claimed in court to have spiralled back into a life of crime, stealing thousands from Toowoomba businesses, after his boss refused him his last payment.

On Tuesday, Toowoomba painter Ashley Wayne Dodd, 46, pleaded guilty to 50 offences including 15 counts of stealing after a previous conviction and 17 counts of driving while disqualified by court order and one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

A police prosecutor told the court Dodd had executed numerous planned attacks on various service stations across Toowoomba stealing in total $11,855.62 worth of petrol over several months.

The court heard Dodd would drive off with between $100 to $1000 in fuel without any attempt to pay on multiple occasions, seemingly premeditating the acts by bringing additional fuel canisters.

The prosecutor said Dodd was able to avoid detection for some time by frequently changing vehicles and using false plates, until an extensive police investigation uncovered the extent of his offending.

Ashley Wayne Dodd, 46, pleaded guilty to 50 offences on Tuesday February 11, 2025 including stealing and disqualified driving. Picture: File

Majority of Dodd’s offending took place while he was subject to parole for a district court sentence of grievous bodily harm after attacking a fellow inmate while in custody.

He was also subject to an absolute driving ban by court order after his driver’s licence was disqualified indefinitely in Richlands Magistrate Court in 2019.

Defence solicitor Matt Gemmell said Dodd had suffered an extremely traumatic upbringing which led him to drug abuse and explained his “consistent” criminal history dating back to the 1990s.

“It’s a reflection of somebody who struggles with an extreme addiction to methylamphetamine,” he said.

“However, there were some gaps in my client’s criminal offending and most notably between the years of 2008 to 2014 … that period of stability was brought out by my client gaining access to full-time work.

Mr Gemmell claimed Dodd had been “stiffed” by his previous employer just before the recent offending which led him to “snap” and “return to old ways”; however assured Dodd’s time in pre-sentence custody had served as a wake up call.

“He is a man who is becoming, in his own words, too old for this,” Mr Gemmell said.

“My client has avoided temptation (in prison) and remains sober to date.

“My client has identified that work is a staple for keeping him on the straight and narrow … he is hoping to seek work immediately on his release.

Magistrate Mark Howden stressed the incredulity of Dodd’s offending over his lifetime, particularly his most recent scheme.

“(Prosecution) described to me one of the worst cases of disqualified driving and stealing … that’s come before the court in a long time,” he said.

“You’ve been doing this (driving while disqualified by court order) for 29 years.”

Dodd was sentenced to two years imprisonment and told to repay $11,855.62 in restitution.

He was granted an immediate parole eligibility date of February 11, 2025, taking into account his 203 days spent in pre-sentence custody.

He was further disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence absolutely.