Time on ice led to cool relations

Man rebuilds bridges with family

ICE use had led a Toowoomba man to steal from his father and use his brother’s car for a series of offences, but he had since “mended bridges” with his family, the city’s Magistrates Court has heard.

Tyson Robert Tilmouth had stolen a television set, power stools and a computer from his father’s home and pawned the TV for $200, the court heard.

At the same time, he had taken the keys to his brother’s car which he used in a series of service station drive-offs including failing to pay for $74 of fuel at a Harristown service station on November 7, $50 at Caltex Pampas, $85.19 from Freedom Fuels in Toowoomba, and $82.80 from BP Charlton.

Police prosecutor Julia Wheaton told the court the 30year-old had attached stolen number plates to the vehicle before committing the driveoffs which were each captured by CCTV camera.

He had also failed to pay $199 for a night’s accommodation at the City Golf Club motel, Senior Constable Wheaton said.

Tilmouth pleaded guilty to all those charges as well as to a drug-driving offence at Caboolture on November 17 when he tested positive for methylamphetamine (ice).

His solicitor Chelsea Saldumbide told the court her client had since voluntarily taken up with his GP and arranged to have counselling for his drug problem and was on a mental health plan.

Her client had since “mended bridges” with his family and was living with his mother and working on the Sunshine Coast, Ms Saldumbide said.

Magistrate Viviana Keegan warned Tilmouth drugs took over people’s lives.

“You can’t control ice, it controls you,” she told him.

Ms Keegan placed Tilmouth on eight months probation to include random drug testing, disqualified him from driving for one month and ordered he make restitution of $692.