Break-ins by alleged serial thief

Alleged serial burglar broke into 12 properties

POLICE have arrested a man they allege has broken into seven homes and five businesses in the past two months. Toowoomba Detective ActingSenior Sergeant John Cunningham said police were called to a Campbell Street address in East Toowoomba after reports the man was attempting to enter a home. Police located the man a short distance from the home and took him into custody.

THE man police allege has broken into seven homes and five businesses was on parole at the time.

Nathan Ruchard Paton was arrested late on Monday afternoon after he was allegedly caught breaking into a Campbell Street home.

Toowoomba Detective Acting-Senior Sergeant John Cunningham said police were called the address, located the man nearby and took him into custody.

“He was pretty compliant,”

Sgt Cunningham said.

Police had then executed a search warrant at the Toowoomba man’s home where they will allege they seized a homemade stun gun and stolen property.

Detectives had been searching for the man for several weeks after their investigations linked him to about a dozen alleged break and enter offences in the East Toowoomba and Mt Lofty areas.

Paton appeared in the Toowoomba

Magistrates Court yesterday, charged with 20 offences, including seven counts of burglary, two of entering a premise and committing an indictable offence and three of three entering a premise with intent.

He is further charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and three counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Mr Paton was remained in the watch house as duty solicitor Matt Gemmell, of Bouchier

Khan Lawyers, told the court his client was on parole and awaiting the Parole Board decision on the status of that parole.

Mr Gemmell asked that his client’s case be held over until Wednesday by which time a Parole Board decision should have been made.

Magistrate Graham Lee therefore remanded Mr Paton in custody and adjourned the case over to the same court on Wednesday for mention.