UPDATED, APRIL 24 | Trent Bunney has been granted appeal bail while he waits for his appeal to be heard in the County Court.
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Bunney, who was jailed for 120 days earlier this month, has since lodged an appeal against the length of the sentence.
Magistrate Franz Holzer on Monday granted Bunney, of Delacombe, appeal bail.
His appeal will be heard in the County Court at Ballarat at a date to be fixed.
EARLIER, APRIL 6 | A 24-year-old Ballarat man has walked out on a magistrate after he was told he was looking at jail time.
Trent Bunney appeared before the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, but when magistrate Franz Holzer told him he was staring down the barrel of more jail time Bunney stormed off.
His plea hearing was stood down and Bunney later returned to court where he apologised to the magistrate and explained he became frustrated because he didn’t fully understand what was going on.
The court heard Bunney was found in a car which had been stolen in an aggravated burglary, committed by unknown offenders, from a Boulevard Drive address in the early hours of January 25.
"I consider that grossly discourteous."
- Magistrate Franz Holzer after Trent Bunney walked from court on Thursday.
Bunney was not charged with the aggravated burglary because there was no forensic evidence linking him to the inside of the house.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Lisa Schoemaker said Bunney was caught driving the stolen car five hours after the burglary at the KFC drive-through.
She told the court a credit card also stolen from the Boulevard Drive property was used to purchase food and a number of other goods, including cigarettes.
Bunney was arrested the next day asleep in the car.
Bunney’s lawyer, Manny Brennan, urged the court to allow his client to get the assistance he needs to address a “spiraling” drug problem through a community corrections order (CCO).
While Bunney’s recent offending breached a current CCO, Mr Brennan said his client was only on the order for a brief time and did not have the chance to attempt the rehabilitative programs.
He went on to explain Bunney began self-medicating with illicit drugs to deal with a number of traumatic life experiences, including the death of a close friend.
But he added his client now wanted to address his drug problem and should not be released into the community without supports.
Magistrate Holzer said while a period of jail with a non-parole period was out of range, the 70 days on remand was not enough.
Bunney was jailed for an additional 50 days. He also needs to complete 100 hours of unpaid community work.