Smash and grab thief goes to jail

A JEWEL thief whose smashand- grab heist of more than $ 40,000 in rings was foiled by quick- thinking citizens has been jailed.

Rhowen Carmody JoinerGoldring pleaded guilty to 11 charges when he fronted Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday.

Police prosecutor Len Brown said Joiner- Goldring stole thousands of dollars’ worth of jewellery from two separate Townsville stores inside a three- week period.

On June 22, Joiner- Goldring entered the Jewellery By Design store at Stockland Townsville Shopping Centre, walking around the shop and looking at goods before exiting the store. Mr Brown said Joiner- Goldring returned later and used a hammer to smash a glass case.

“A number of witnesses walking past captured the defendant and held him until police arrived,” Mr Brown said.

Mr Brown said the 27- yearold had stolen a necklace, valued at almost $ 7000 from Michael Hill Jewellers on June 3. Mr Brown said the necklace was never recovered.

Joiner- Goldring also stole a guide dog donation tin from a Townsville store in December last year. He was also nabbed for riding a bike without a helmet on May 12 and that bike turned out to be stolen.

The court heard he had also broken into Whites Grocer at North Ward and pleaded guilty to wilful damage for throwing his brother’s barbecue off a balcony after an argument.

Joiner- Goldring’s defence lawyer Jessica Shuttleworth said her client was schizophrenic and his mental health issues, combined with drug and gambling addiction played a major factor in his offending.

Magistrate Richard Lehmann said Joiner- Goldring’s offending breached a sixmonth suspended sentence.

He enacted those six months and further sentenced Joiner Goldring to an additional two years imprisonment. A parole eligibility date was set for March 21, 2019.