Jailed: Toowoomba dad on run found with meth and fantasy

When police pulled Toowoomba man aside for a search, officer’s suspicions were validated when they looked inside his underwear.

Jason John Cullen

A former youth mentor who relapsed into hard drugs and a life of crime has been jailed after committing a raft of offences.

The 35-year-old father of two, Jason John Cullen, was sentenced to a nine month jail term for a raft of offences committed between May and August 2023.

Ice-fuelled crime spree

Police prosecutor Tim Hutton said Cullen’s drug fuelled crime spree began in Toowoomba, when officers spotted him driving while disqualified in May 2023.

Mr Hutton said police intercepted Cullen in a black Ford Falcon Ute, who pulled into a Toowoomba service station.

Due to his suspect demeanour, officers detained Cullen for a search in a nearby toilet and uncovered a clip-seal bag of meth stashed in his underwear.

Jason John Cullen was jailed for dangerous operation of a vehicle while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance. He will be paroled on January 20, 2023.

At the time, Cullen was subject to parole for crimes he committed in 2022, where he dangerously drove a stolen car while high through the streets of Toowoomba.

In July, police attempted to arrest Cullen on a return to prison warrant when they spotted him shopping with his new partner at the Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre, however he successfully evaded police on foot.

Before he ran, officers informed him Queensland Corrections had cancelled his parole after he was charged with drug possession and driving unlicensed months prior.

He continued to commit crimes while on the run.

Mr Hutton said on August 15, Cullen pulled up at a Helidon service station and pumped $58.97 worth of fuel into a car, which did not have the correct number plates attached.
Three days later Cullen was arrested on August 17 after officers received intelligence he was residing at a Kallangur address in the Moreton Bay region.

Cullen resisted arrest after being located inside a silver Ford Falcon, alongside .7g of meth, and two vials of liquid fantasy (gamma hydroxybutyrate).

The Toowoomba Court House.

Childhood sexual abuse

The court heard Cullen experienced significant trauma as a child at the hands of his stepfather who was convicted and jailed for the offending.

His mother also pulled the then 14-year-old out of school because she needed help raising his four younger siblings.

Despite his disadvantaged upbringing, Cullen finished Year 11 at Toowoomba Flexi School and mentored at-risk youth.

Once released, Cullen will be financially supported by his new partner who organised to pay for his stay at a drug rehabilitation centre once he is released from prison.

Cullen is scheduled to plead guilty to strangling a former partner before the Toowoomba District Court on May 2, 2024.

Sentence

At the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, March 25, Cullen pleaded guilty to 12 crimes which included, possessing dangerous drugs, receiving stolen property, stealing, obstructing police, and driving disqualified as a repeat offender.

The court heard Cullen had a lengthy criminal history which included numerous disqualified driving convictions, property offences, drug offending, and acts of violence.

Magistrate Louise Shephard said given Cullen’s history the most serious offending was the drug and driving offences, especially given he was on parolefor the dangerous operation of a vehicle.

He was sentenced to a nine month jail term, and his licence was disqualified for two years.

The 221 days he spent in custody were declared time served.

He was granted parole illegibility, however the court heard the waiting time for applications to be looked at was two months.