A 26-year-old man who went on a crime spree across Ballarat less than two months after being released from prison has been put back behind bars.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Steven Harris, 26, faced the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with more than 45 offences after going on a crime rampage across the region over a two month period earlier this year.
Harris was jailed for 19 months with a non-parole period of nine months after pleading guilty to the offences, which included reckless conduct endangering serious injury, aggravated burglary and multiple accounts of theft of a motor vehicle and unlicensed driving.
The offending also contravened a community corrections order.
The court heard in one incident on March 29 this year Harris had burgled a Scotchmans Lead Road address when he was confronted by the owner of the house.
The two men got into a scuffle when Harris kicked the victim to the face and took off in the man’s car.
In another incident three days prior Harris was also confronted by the owners of a stolen BMW who assaulted him over the theft.
Between March 6 and April 3 Harris committed a number of car thefts and petrol drive offs across the Ballarat region and was found in possession of a number of stolen items.
The court also heard Harris, who was unlicensed throughout the offending period, drove at police in the early hours of March 20 and narrowly missed them after swerving at the last minute.
Police also saw Harris driving at speeds of 150km/h and 120km/h through residential streets.
Harris’ lawyer, Jim Buchecker, told the court his client had lived a relatively normal life up until his early twenties when he found the drug ice.
After discovering the drug Mr Buchecker said Harris’ conduct spiraled out of control.
Having spent 165 days in custody awaiting sentence, he said Harris was now clean of drugs and planned to stay that way.
Conceding a term of more than 12 months imprisonment was likely, he said Harris wanted to get back to normality and find work once released.
In sentencing, Magistrate Catherine Lamble said the benefits of parole outweighed another community corrections order.
In addition to imprisoning Harris, she also cancelled his licence and disqualified him from driving for 18 months.
He has served 165 days.