A car thief was initially handed the keys to a stolen vehicle in Townsville before he destroyed it during a dangerous joy ride on the Bruce Highway south of Mackay.
In a bizarre twist Roger Allan Bland was initially handed the keys to the black Hyundai.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard Bland, 35, had met the owner of the vehicle near a taxi rank at Castletown Shopping Centre in Townsville on June 2, 2023.
The woman had agreed and even let Bland drive the car.
Prosecutor Lennon Stathoulis said while she was in Coles he drove off, and when she texted him Bland didn’t reply. It was reported stolen about 11.30am.
A stolen car rolled three times in a crash near Yalboroo, north of Mackay on June 2, 2023. Photo: Heidi Petith
About 4.20pm there were triple-0 reports the vehicle was speeding and overtaking cars on the Bruce Highway near Proserpine and it went past a speed camera van at Bloomsbury at 160km/h.
At 4.53pm police were called to a two-vehicle crash at Yalboroo after Bland had struck the back of a white Holden sedan causing the Hyundai to roll three times.
Mr Stathoulis said the black Hyundai received “extensive damage”, while the white Holden received “moderate rear end damage”.
A white sedan struck by a speeding driver at the crash. Photo: Heidi Petith
Bland pleaded guilty to dangerous driving while speeding, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, failing to provide a specimen of breath over the crash as well as other historic charges dating back to 2002.
Defence lawyer Phil Moore said Bland told him he had met the woman “and she was intoxicated”, which was the reason he had driven initially.
“She gave him the keys because she was having trouble finding her car,” Mr Moore said, adding his client initially had permission to be in and drive the car.
Roger Allan Bland pleaded guilty to dangerous driving while speeding and unlawful use of a motor vehicle among a raft of offences. Photo: Contributed
The court heard Bland had waited a long time while the woman was in Coles, “became paranoid” and had a bit of a panic attack.
“He exceeded authority by driving away,” Mr Moore said, adding his client was lucky he wasn’t more injured.
Mr Moore told the court the dangerous driving was just in relation to Bland’s speed.
Bland had met the owner at a Townsville shopping centre and was initially given permission to drive the car. Photo: Heidi Petith
“There’s no evidence of vehicles having to take evasive action,” he said.
Acting Magistrate Rob Turra accepted it was an early plea and that Bland had spent six days in the Mackay watch-house.
“You were at risk to other road users and yourself,” Mr Turra said.
“You were in a stolen vehicle … and you were speeding and the result inevitably was you were in a traffic incident.”
Bland was jailed for four months, wholly suspended for 12 months, fined $300 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.