A Lake Wendouree man has been warned he will be sent straight back to jail if he breaches a 200-hour community corrections order.
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Magistrate Luisa Bazzani also told Aaron Griffin, 22, that he “wasn’t a child anymore” after he pleaded guilty to 29 charges.
These included car theft, fail to answer bail, give a false name, theft of a handbag, resist police, criminal damage, possessing a controlled weapon, receiving stolen goods, having false plates, using a drug of dependence and traffic offences.
“No one is going to hold your hand,” Ms Bazzani said via video link from the Melbourne Magistrates Court to where Griffin was appearing at Ballarat Magistrates Court.
“You have made significant gains but it’s up to you what you are going to do with it.
“(But) if you breach this community corrections order, you will come back before me and you will go back to jail.”
Griffin has to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay a total $3000 fine.
He also received a 176-day jail term which he has already served in 23-hour lockdown while in police custody.
A previous hearing on July 7 heard Griffin was intercepted by police six times over a 12-month period driving while suspended, with a large hunting knife found under his seat on one occasion.
A video of Griffin doing donuts in a $18,000 stolen car was also found on his phone and, in another incident, he was the passenger in a car in which police found two stolen car registration plates inside a suitcase in the boot, with Griffin claiming ownership of the suitcase.
He also gave police false names before running away and caused $3000 in damage to the Ballarat police cells by gauging his nickname in the walls.
Griffin also failed to complete any hours of a previous community corrections order.
Griffin’s lawyer Rod Willcox told the court his client spiralled into drug use after his long-term relationship broke down and a close friend died, all within a few weeks of each other.
His ice addiction became so bad he spent his house deposit on drugs.
“He turned to drugs and found a group of people who accepted him,” Mr Wilcox said.
The July hearing was adjourned for a pre-sentencing report to be completed.
On Tuesday, Ms Bazzani said she would place Griffin back on another CCO to allow him to “continue the work (he) has started” in relation to drug and mental health treatment.
She said she would allow Griffin to stay in the community but with strict conditions on his drug and mental health rehabilitation.