Blame game in magistrates court | Warwick Crime | Robberies, Assaults and Convictions in Warwick

SIXTY-one-year-old Ian Richard Rhodes yesterday blemished an otherwise clean slate when he appeared before the Warwick Magistrates Court.

It was a case of conflicting reports as the Oakey resident and 18-year-old accomplice, Warwick youth Jamie Kenneth Coward, each gave sometimes differing reports of evidence for the same charge.

They pleaded guilty to one charge each of enter premises and commit indictable offence, which was for taking equipment from the work-site of a new retirement village on the south side of Warwick between May 1 and June 9, police prosecutor Sergeant Ken Wiggan told the court.

Coward, who represented himself and also has an unblemished criminal history, appeared first before Acting Magistrate Ian Rose and the court heard he had been led by Rhodes to do the crime. Of course, when it came to Rhodes' hearing, the court heard the opposite, which Mr Wiggan foretold during Coward's hearing.

Another of the important disputed facts was how they entered the site. Coward told the court they entered through a hole already cut in the fence, while Rhodes' defence counsel Phillip Crook said his client told police Coward cut the hole.

Probation and parole officer Vanessa Veselinovic instructed the court Coward was eligible for probation and Magistrate Rose agreed with her recommendation, sentencing him to six months probation with no conviction recorded.

Magistrate Rose deemed Rhodes to be the ringleader because of his seniority, so sentenced him to 12 months probation, also without a conviction recorded.

He warned both men to expect much harsher penalties if they broke their probation and appeared before the court again.