Dad returns to prison
He said he was ‘going straight’ but it was straight back to crime
WHEN father of five William Martin Nixon appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court in March, he said he was “going straight” for the sake of his children.
However, it appeared he meant going straight back to crime because less than six weeks after being released from custody on that occasion, he returned to offending that had him returned to prison.
The 29-year-old appeared before the same court by video link from the prison to plead guilty to 19 offences committed while on parole that was imposed the last time he appeared in court in March.
Those offences included using a stolen bankcard to obtain goods from 10 different businesses in Toowoomba to the total value of $650 on May 7; receiving another stolen bankcard which he used at one store and attempted to use at two others on May 25; and entering a business on May 26 and driving off without paying for fuel on May 26 at which time he was driving unlicensed.
Prosecutor Rowan Brewster-Webb said Nixon had been handed a nine-month jail term in March which had a full-time release date of next Tuesday but submitted he should receive more jail time for these matters as they were committed while on parole.
Nixon’s solicitor Charles Lumsden told the court his client had been living and working in Mitchell and doing well after his last court appearance in March.
However, a keen sportsman, his client had injured himself in the gym and was off work for a few weeks during which time he came to Toowoomba, met up with a co-offender and returned to committing offences, he said.
His client intended returning to Mitchell where he had work upon his release from prison, Mr Lumsden said.
Magistrate Kay Ryan said she could only order a parole eligibility date and that the parole board usually took up to four months to process parole applications.
Ms Ryan sentenced Nixon to nine months in jail but ordered he be eligible to apply for release on parole immediately and ordered he pay restitution of $668.