Crim says his mates ridiculed GPS device

A TOWNSVILLE criminal says he cut off his GPS tracking bracelet because it made him feel he was being treated “like a paedophile”.

Jack Noel Spark faced Townsville Magistrates Court on a string of offences from November last year, including damaging the monitoring device and breaking into a shopping centre.

Spark pleaded guilty to entering a premises with intent, attempting to enter a premises, stealing, wilful damages, obstructing police, failure to stop a motor vehicle and other traffic offences.

Police prosecutor Kellie Mythen said Spark, 19, cut his GPS tracking bracelet off on November 17, 2017.

Ms Mythen said he had failed to stop for police when he was spotted driving unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured and with incorrect numberplates just nine days earlier.

The court heard Spark stole tools from a Bunnings store in Ingham before using them to break into a shopping centre on November 27.

Ms Mythen said Spark attempted to break into Mick’s Bread Kitchen, inside the centre, but failed.

Defence lawyer Nathan Smith said the company Spark kept “were making fun of him because of that bracelet … stress got to him … he cut that off.”

“He instructs that it made him feel like he was being treated like a paedophile,” Mr Smith said.

Magistrate Cathy Wadley said she understood Spark believed the bracelet was impacting on his life but this did not give due cause to remove it.

“There are seasons for the imposition of these monitoring devices,” Mrs Wadley said.

Spark had served 232 days in custody before his sentencing, with 131 of those not linked to his parole breach.

Mrs Wadley took that into account when sentencing him to nine months imprisonment with an immediate parole eligibility date.