Teen given chance to start over

RIDING around in stolen cars and trying to break into a Glenvale home have earned 19-year-old Aaron Trent Bidgood a year behind bars.

However, he was freed from prison on parole yesterday, having already spent 344 days of his teenage years in pre-sentence custody.

The charges on which Bidgood fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court dated back to the theft of a yellow Holden ute from a Toowoomba home on December 11, 2012.

Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Bill McKenzie said Bidgood’s fingerprints were found on the ute when it was found dumped in a damaged state at Wyreema a few days later.

Charges of attempted burglary and wilful damage were also read out against him in relation to a raid on a Glenvale home about 10.45pm on September 9 last year.

Snr Sgt McKenzie said Bidgood was with two other males when they tried to enter the home of a 22-year-old woman who was living alone.

He said Bidgood reached up and ripped a CCTV camera out of its bracket on the home before they tried unsuccessfully to kick in the back door.

Bidgood’s second unlawful use of a motor vehicle charge related to a car stolen in September last year.

He also faced five breaches of bail charges.

Defence solicitor Claire Graham said her client had a significant drug problem, but had entered programs while in prison to address the issue.

Magistrate Kay Ryan told Bidgood she hoped he would stay clean of drugs.

She ordered him to pay more than $7000 restitution for damage to the car as well the camera.

“You have the rest of your life ahead of you,” Ms Ryan said.

“It’s in your hands basically.”