Joel Mark Wayne sentenced for violent crime spree
A Qld woman was so terrified she jumped from a moving car, seeking refuge in a service station where desperate staff tried to lock out an enraged personal trainer on a 26-charge spree.
A violent personal trainer who bashed a woman, smashed through a service station door, and led police on a high-speed chase has landed behind bars.
Joel Mark Wayne fronted Bowen Magistrates Court from custody charged with 26 offences spanning a four-month period.
The court heard the offending began in March of 2024 when he was pulled over and tested positive for methylamphetamine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol twice in one day.
Police prosecutor Lynda Hughes said in July 2024 Wayne was charged with assaulting two people, becoming enraged and punching his former girlfriend in the nose before grabbing a man around the neck when he tried to intervene.
The court heard later that same month a woman, with whom he was friends, jumped out of a moving vehicle Wayne was driving because he was “going off” and she fled to a service station seeking refuge, but Wayne followed her.
The front doors of the service station were locked by an employee in an attempt to keep Wayne out and protect the woman, but Wayne became “aggressive”, throwing things and using a bin to break the glass door.
Once in the service station he tried to break down a locked door to get to the woman who was behind the counter by kicking the door repeatedly before leaving the premises when he was unable to gain entry.
The court heard he caused over $1700 of damage to the service station.
Ms Hughes said three days later on July 25, 2024 Wayne was driving in Bloomsbury when he saw police and immediately conducted a u turn, driving away at speed.
When police attempted to intercept the vehicle, Wayne increased his speed even more while heading towards a roadworks zone.
He ran a red light and drove through the roadworks zone at speeds in excess of 126 km/h the court heard.
Ms Hughes said there were road workers and other vehicles in the vicinity at the time.
In the following two days he committed multiple fuel drive offs totalling more than $300.
The court heard police executed a search warrant where they found a two-piece shotgun, 113 rounds of ammunition, as well as cannabis and a homemade bong.
The court heard he had an eight-page criminal history with multiple entries for like offending and was in custody on a number of other “serious charges” that had allegedly been committed awaiting an indictment.
Lawyer Phil Rennick appeared on behalf of Wayne, telling the court his client grew up in Bendigo before moving to Bloomsbury at seven-years-old.
He said Wayne was part of a sports excellence program in his youth and went on to play for the Cowboys development team.
The 30-year-old father of two was living in Collinsville prior to his arrest and had a certificate III in personal training.
Mr Rennick said Wayne did not have the capacity to pay restitution due to his time in custody.
“Why should that small business be out of pocket because he’s lost his mind at that time and smashed through a window?” Magistrate Anna Smith asked.
Wayne pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving, driving while disqualified, driving uninsured, driving an unregistered vehicle, contravening a police officer's direction, driving while suspended for twenty four hours, two counts of assault, entering a premises by break and committing an offence, possessing explosives, dangerous operation of a vehicle, two counts of evading police, failing to properly dispose of a needle, failing to appear, possessing a pipe, possessing dangerous drugs, six counts of stealing, and possessing a weapon.
He was sentenced to two years imprisonment with 460 days' time served and disqualified from holding a driver's licence for two years.
He was given an immediate parole release date, but Ms Smith noted he would not get out of custody at that time because he did not have bail on his other matters.
Convictions were recorded.
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Originally published as Joel Mark Wayne sentenced for violent crime spree
