A 22-year-old has avoided another jail term after pleading guilty to theft, making a threat and criminal damage.
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Bailey Mckenzie faced the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday on four charges.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Clint Prebble said Mckenzie was with a co-accused in December 2019 when they stole perfume and t-shirts from David Jones.
You have been in jail since so you know what it is like.
- Magistrate Letizia Torres
Mckenzie made a threat to the security guard who tried to stop them leaving the store, asked if they wanted to get stabbed and escaped.
The court heard Mckenzie stole a bottle of bourbon from Dan Murphy in January 2020.
In February he was at the Ballarat skatepark when he ran across to the Mercedes dealer with a metal pole and damaged the side panelling of a car.
Senior Constable Prebble said Mckenzie had some criminal history, including periods of imprisonment since this offending.
The court heard he was currently on a community corrections order imposed in the County Court.
A defence lawyer submitted the thefts were of the lower end of seriousness and appeared to be spontaneous.
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She said the threat to the security guard was made in an effort to escape and there was no evidence he had any weapon with him at the time.
The lawyer said the criminal damage to the car was a 'baffling' incident as there did not appear to be any reason for causing the damage but she said Mckenzie had been drinking at the time.
"He has a relevant and quite extensive prior history, however the offending in this case doesn't represent an escalation," she said.
The court heard Mckenzie had had long issues with drug use as he had used ice since he was 12-years-old.
He was bullied in school which led to behavioural problems and he was diagnosed with ADHD.
The lawyer said Mckenzie was currently looking for employment and was motivated to keep his life on track.
She said he had attended some drug and alcohol counselling and was engaged with Headspace.
"He is a youthful offender. I submit rehabilitation remains at the forefront of sentencing considerations," the lawyer said.
"It would be a risk to rehabilitation and his efforts so far if he were to receive a term of imprisonment."
Magistrate Letizia Torres said Mckenzie's history was 'quite terrible' for someone so young and it was important he rehabilitated himself and stayed away from drugs.
Mckenzie was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order and will be required to complete 100 hours of unpaid community work.
"You have been in jail since this offending so you know what it is like," Ms Torres said. "You have your whole life ahead of you."
Mckenzie was also ordered to pay more than $1200 compensation to Mercedes for the damage to the car.
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