A dad who stole five motorbikes from an Invermay property and then tried to gift one to his son has been released from jail.
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Bradley Driscoll, 24, pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday to 11 charges including burglary and theft.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Ben Jones told the court Driscoll stole three KTM motorbikes, two Yamaha motorbikes and motorbike gear from a property in Invermay in the early hours of September 26 last year.
Two days later police attended Driscoll's mother's property and found two motorbikes in the garden shed and one leaning against the house - they were confirmed as stolen from the Invermay property.
Two snowboards were also found in the shed that were believed to be stolen from a vehicle in Ballarat East in September. In addition police located tools believed to be stolen from a vehicle in Ballarat North.
Senior Constable Jones told the court Driscoll's phone contained several messages asking friends if they wanted to buy a motorbike and a message to his ex-girlfriend saying he had a motorbike as a gift to his son, to which she replied: 'you are not giving our son a stolen motorbike'.
Driscoll told police he had kept the motorbikes at his mother's house and was planning to move them to his nan's house with a friend that day.
The court heard Driscoll also stole a car from a woman's driveway while she slept in the early hours of November 7 2018.
Senior Constable Jones said police later found the car in Sebastopol and returned it to the victim. Forensic testing on an opened Powerade bottle found in the glove box linked it to Driscoll, who was on bail at the time of the offending.
Police arrested Driscoll on January 19 this year where he gave no explanation of how he could be forensically linked to the vehicle.
Defence lawyer David Tamanika told the court Driscoll had served already served 215 days in custody since his arrest.
"This amount of time is reasonably lengthy for a 24-year-old and is the longest period of imprisonment he has served so far," he said.
Mr Tamanika said Driscoll was hoping to move to Taylors Lakes where his partner and young child lives and there was an opportunity for employment available.
He told the court Driscoll had completed a large number of programs while in custody and had a positive outlook when contemplating what was available to him upon release.
Magistrate Gregory Robinson said the question was whether 215 days was enough for 'stealing motorbikes as part of a burglary he then tries to give to his son'.
"What a shocking act," Mr Robinson said.
Driscoll was sentenced to 215 days time served, a $1000 fine and an 18 month community corrections order commencing upon his release.
Driscoll was remanded in custody on other matters and will return to court to face those charges on January 29. It is expected he will make an application for bail.
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