Young tug who partook in filming a couple in bed before stealing car fronts court

A disturbing M.O. of a group of Toowoomba property offenders was revealed in court when a young man pleaded guilty to recording in breach of a homeowner’s privacy and distributing intimate images online.

Following a spate of break and enters and stolen car thefts in Toowoomba over a few days in December 2024, it took officers less than a week to catch up to Mitchell, charging him with 27 crimes.

A regional Queensland Court heard a group of car thieves took their violating crimes to a new level od disturbing while rampaging through Toowoomba, targeting and breaking into countless homes.

When one of the offenders was sentenced before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, June 30, the court heard police found images of homeowners in bed, which were shared on social media.

William John Mitchell pleaded guilty to recording in breach of the couple’s privacy and distributing the intimate images online.

The 20-year-old Toowoomba man also pleaded guilty to 25 property offences, which included 12 break and enter related charges, three counts of stealing cars, and nine attempted break and enter charges.

Following a spate of break and enters and stolen car thefts in Toowoomba over a few days in December 2024, it took officers less than a week to catch up to Mitchell, charging him with 27 crimes.

The court heard Mitchell committed the spate of property offences with a group of alleged co-accused over a few days in December 2024.

The suburbs targeted included; Glenvale, Darling Heights, Rangeville, Kearneys Spring, and Cotswold Hills.

When police found and arrested Mitchell at the Quest Hotel in Toowoomba on December 23, police found a video and images taken during a break and enter on December 20.

The court heard Mitchell and a co-accused shined a light on a couple in bed, and exclaimed ‘oh my god, you’re gay,’ before taking two photos which were shared on Snapchat.

Police also found a video of Mitchell inside a stolen car brandishing a fake handgun.

Mitchell’s lawyer, Michael Corbin, told the court that a co-accused had used Mitchell’s phone to capture the couple in bed, but accepted Mitchell was a party to the crime.

Acting Magistrate Simone Bain said the group’s M.O. was clear, with a stolen car repeatedly seen stopping in a street with alleged offenders “spilling” from the car before trying to enter homes, cars, and garages.

She said despite the efforts of homeowners and renters to protect their properties, it didn’t deter the thieves.

Ms Bain said she doubted Mitchell grasped the damaging effect property crimes had on the community who were left without transport to get their kids to school or loved ones to medical appointments.

She told him these aren’t rich people, rather real people who worked hard to provide a stable foundation for their families - an opportunity Mitchell himself wasn’t given.

Ms Bain said it was likely that Mitchell’s disadvantaged upbringing around criminal activity had normalised the offending.

“The only way to change the path you’re on is to be strong enough to disengage yourself from offending (and bad influences),” she said.

She said while property offences were rightly at the forefront of the community’s mind, so too should be ensuring offenders were rehabilitated and supported to break the cycle of offending, noting Mitchell began taking those steps in custody.

Mitchell was sentenced to a two-year jail term, and the 189 days he spent in custody were declared as time served.

His release will be up to Queensland’s parole board.
Details on whether or not the alleged co-offenders were arrested and charged in relation to the property crime spree was not provided to the court.