A DRUNKEN 20-year-old stole a fire extinguisher from the Woolworths underground car park and sprayed it while running across Camooweal Street.
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This was only part of the shenanigans that happened during the Mount Isa rodeo weekend in August that were heard in the Mount Isa Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Martinus William Larsen pleaded guilty to stealing the extinguisher. He was given a good behaviour bond, which means he could fork out $1500 if he receives a criminal conviction in the next year.
Magistrate Rod Madsen also ordered Larsen to pay the cost of refilling the extinguisher.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Martin Longhurst said Larsen stole the fire extinguisher about 4am, on Friday August 8.
Larsen ran across the street and dropped the extinguisher at a nearby fuel station.
Woolworths had to pay to refill the extinguisher, which was expensive, Sergeant Longhurst said.
The crime could have “potentially” gone unnoticed.
Larsen said he consumed too much alcohol and wanted to repay Woolworths. He also offered to use contacts he knew through a local business to refill the extinguisher at a cheaper price.
John Thomas Edwards, 20, an electrician, also appeared in court over offences influenced by alcohol during the rodeo weekend.
He climbed on to the Brumbies Bakery roof in West Street at 3.50am, August 8, to get his shirt.
The shirtless Edwards asked bakery staff if he could collect the item of clothing, which someone had thrown on the roof.
Edwards was asked to return the next day when he was not drunk.
Sergeant Longhurst said that police caught Edwards on the roof 13 minutes later.
“He jumped on a nearby rubbish bin to get off the roof,” he said.
Edwards pleaded guilty to unlawfully remaining on a building, but the matter was discharged by the magistrate.
Immediately after Edwards’ hearing, the court heard a 19-year-old man twice climbed a three-metre fence at Buchanan Park, after being removed by police from the area.
Jacob Garry Holstein had to leave the licensed area with his rodeo admittance tag removed because he was “interfering with a temporary display” about 9pm, Saturday, August 9.
He climbed the fence to get back into the show grounds, was caught by police, and repeated the climb 10 minutes later. Mr Madsen placed Holstein on a $300 good behaviour bond, which will last six months.
“You are young; young people make silly decisions,” the magistrate said.
The magistrate said many rodeo employees, volunteers and police officers worked hard to make the rodeo a safe occasion.