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$30k Yorkeys Knob Road rampage

Melanie Petrinec

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

© The Cairns Post

 

A MAN'S late-night rampage behind the wheel of a truck through Yorkeys Knob caused almost $30,000 worth of damage and prompted a magistrate to describe it as the worst driving behaviour he had ever heard of.

Ryan James Tugnett, 35, pleaded guilty to four counts of wilful damage and one charge of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle yesterday but was spared serving actual jail time when his six-month sentence was wholly suspended.

About 11.45pm on April 14, Tugnett reversed his Isuzu truck into the LJ Hooker shopfront on Varley St, causing $13,709 worth of damage.

He continued to drive erratically, side-swiping a car and smashing into everything in his path, including plastic barriers owned by Coates Hire.

Tugnett proceeded to drag the barriers down the street, which he said was "like driving a giant snake", before completely flattening two phone boxes, costing Telstra $14,000.

When police caught up with him, he told them he had been popping pills, smoking marijuana and drinking.

He head-butted the officers’ car, and urinated in it on the way to the city watch-house.

A motive for the man’s behaviour was not revealed in court.

Acting magistrate Kerry McFadden said the facts were "quite unbelievable".

"You are just really lucky no one was actually injured."

Mr McFadden ordered Tugnett to pay restitution of $29,539, suspended his jail term for 18 months and disqualified him from driving for a year.

 


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Flashback: Two pay phones in Yorkeys Knob were destroyed in a late-night rampage last month, and the LJ Hooker office and several cars damaged.





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