Young crooks on the lam
A VEHICLE was stolen, and alcohol was taken during a break-in of a prominent Townsville hotel by prisoners who escaped from Townsville Correctional Centre’s low security farm in June.
A court has heard the fresh details about the trio of prisoners who escaped from the Townsville Correctional Centre farm and what they did until their eventual recapture as they were sentenced in court on Wednesday.
A manhunt was launched by police and corrective services officers after Layne Rex Newman, 19, Les Noel Noble, 22, and Preston Donald Zane Quakawoot, 22, absconded the Stuart facility between 6.30pm and 8.30pm on June 27.
Police prosecutor Lisa Plessius said the escape was planned by Les Noel Noble, who had phoned his girlfriend and another associate to organise for a vehicle to pick him up from the Stuart Landfill, with the other two men opportunistically joining in the escape.
On June 28, Noble and Newman were accused of stealing a Mazda CX-5. After Noble switched the number plates with another stolen vehicle, he used a hammer to smash his way through the front door of the Anelay Hotel at 3.45am.
The pair made off with more than 20 bottles of alcohol and were later
involved in stealing $44 of fuel from Ampol Vincent.
Noble was the driver and Newman was in the rear of the stolen Mazda when they were stopped by police on Gosper St, Vincent at 8.45pm.
Newman was arrested and Noble escaped, eventually surrendering to police at the Townsville watch house on June 30.
Officers from Townsville Tactical Crime Unit arrested Preston Quakawoot, 22, in Wulguru on June 29 after he unsuccessfully attempted to flee through the back
of the property. A search revealed he was in possession of a balloon filled with a syringe, needle, and 35 Suboxone strips.
Les Noel Noble pleaded guilty to escape from lawful custody, entering premises and committing an indictable offence by break, obstruct police, unlawful use of motor vehicle, and two counts of stealing.
His lawyer, Meranda Greenwood, acknowledged Noble had
“significant involvement” in the escape. She said he’d suffered an unstable upbringing and had become “institutionalised” after
spending almost the entirety of his adult life behind bars.
As the penalty for escape and crimes committed on the run were cumulative, she urged Magistrate Ross Mack not to impose a “crushing” sentence.
Layne Rex Edward Newman pleaded guilty to escape from lawful custody, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, enter premises and commit indictable offence by break.
Newman’s lawyer, Phil Rennick, noted these latest charges were aggravated by Newman’s history of unlawful use of vehicles and he was becoming institutionalised.
On the night of the escape he said Newman had been following mates.
Preston Donald-zane Quakawoot pleaded guilty to escape from lawful custody, possessing dangerous drugs and possessing anything for use in the commission of crime.
Defence barrister Michael Hibble said Quakawoot’s offending had been aggravated by a previous escape from police custody.
As he had spent most of his adult life behind bars, Mr Hibble said his client had also become institutionalised. He said Quakawoot “got bored” after having his parole rejected, and decided to join in the escape with mates.
Given that his client did little after the escape, other than drugs, he asked for a lesser sentence.
Magistrate Mack said the defining feature for all three was their “youth and atrocious criminal histories”.
While he regarded Noble as the “prime mover” in the escape, he said the others “had every opportunity to refrain” from escaping.
Noble had two years and nine months imprisonment added to his jail time, with a parole eligibility date set for September 30, 2023.
Newman had two years and three months added to his time, and will be eligible for parole on January 29, 2023. Quakawoot received an additional nine months, with a parole eligibility date set for January 27, 2023.