Zade Lynch (aka Marshall): Launceston man’s wild pub meltdown

A drug-abusing Tasmanian thief “inexplicably” launched into a wild tirade at a popular pub after earlier trying unsuccessfully to flog a stolen $1200 bicycle for just $25.

An unemployed Tasmanian ice and cannabis abuser launched into a wild tirade outside a popular pub at ten in the morning, verbally abusing police officers, throwing flowers at a passer-by, resisting arrest, biting a cop’s shoe and repeatedly headbutting the ground, a court has heard.

Kings Meadows man Zade Anthony Lynch (aka Zade Marshall), 23, previously pleaded guilty in Launceston Magistrates Court to 37 offences.

They included dozens of traffic offences, including three charges of drug driving and one of being behind the wheel with a BAC of 0.208 per cent, multiple drug offences, multiple thefts, multiple breaches of court orders, disorderly conduct, resisting police and using abusive language towards officers.

Lynch’s offending occurred between June 2020 – October last year, the court heard on Monday.

Notably, on January 19, 2021, Lynch found himself in possession of a $1200 bicycle which was stolen from a van parked at Lithgow St, South Launceston, in the 48 hours’ prior, which he attempted to flog to an associate – who wasn’t interested – for a paltry $25.

Kings Meadows man Zade Anthony Lynch (aka Zade Marshall), 23. Picture: Facebook

Three months’ later, on April 22, Lynch approached police officers stationed outside the Kings Meadows Hotel at 10am “yelling and swearing”, repeatedly throwing his hands in the air and telling the cops to “f*** off, c***”.

Bizarrely, he then “bit off the end of a flower” he was carrying, spat it out, then threw the flower at a passer-by, the court heard.

Lynch then resisted arrest, tensing his arms and attempting to pull them away such that officers took him to ground, where he began “thrashing”, biting an officer’s shoe and headbutting the ground repeatedly.

Other offending included spending $125 on a stolen bankcard at Grand Central Mood Food in Launceston CBD, performing a series of dangerous manoeuvres at Ravenswood on wet roads while more than four times the legal limit and with ice, speed and cannabis in his system, and stealing grog from BWS Launceston and Liquor Stax.

Defence solicitor Jessica Stewart told the court her client left school after completing Year 5 and struggles reading or writing.

She said he had been essentially itinerant the past three–four years, occasionally living with his mum at Kings Meadows but frequently being booted out for his alcohol and drug abuse.

Ms Stewart said Lynch was also unable to work manual jobs due to a motorcycle injury and had been on a waitlist for social housing for two years.

He had been using dangerous drugs since age 14, the court heard.

Magistrate Ken Stanton, who described the defendant’s pub meltdown as “inexplicable”, sentenced Lynch to a 12-month Community Correction Order and fined him $1500.