Recidivist offender cops jail term on his birthday

A TOOWOOMBA man deemed a “recidivist offender” by a magistrate hasn’t quite received the 43rd birthday present that he was looking for.

Damon Andrew Hannila spent much of his birthday yesterday before the Toowoomba Magistrates Court and in the watch house after pleading guilty to a series of drug and dishonesty offences.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie noted Hannila had a “terrible criminal history” for similar offending over many years.

“The offender has been subject to every available sentencing option that the court can impose,” Ms Pirie said.

Hannila had been placed on 18 months probation by the same court in April but had lasted only 11 days into the order before he started re-offending, the court heard.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Catherine Neilsen told the court Hannila had received a stolen driver’s licence which he had used to obtain mobile phones and phone plans.

He had also been declined similar phones and plans by other phone companies when using the identity of the phone owner.

His offending only came to light when the woman complainant started receiving notification from the phone companies, she said.

Hannila had also forged signatures on a rental bond agreement to cash the bond, however, he had repaid the $1200 after QCAT proceedings in court, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty to a string of dishonesty and drug offences.

His solicitor Shane MacDonald (MacDonald Law) told the court his client had lived a stable life until a relationship breakdown when he was about 35 after which he had turned to illicit drug use.

He had since been diagnosed with bipola disorder for which he was medicated, Mr MacDonald said.

Snr Const. Neilsen submitted Hannila had been on a number of probation orders over the years to help him rehabilitate which had not worked and submitted a term of imprisonment.

Flicking through his criminal history, Ms Pirie noted Hannila had been subjected to two years and three years probation as well as jail terms including a six-year sentence for drug trafficking in 2003.

Ms Pirie said a jail term was the only sentencing option and sentenced Hannila to 12 months in jail but ordered he be released on parole on March 22 after having served one-third of the term.