A man has been warned he will receive longer jail sentences if he continues to commit serious offences, including intimidating family violence and dangerous driving that puts lives at risk.
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Kane Lowe, 28, was sentenced at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday to eight months' imprisonment after he pleaded guilty last week.
Magistrate Ron Saines said Lowe's verbal abuse of his partner, smashing holes in the walls and damaging property while her children were inside was intended to cause fear and intimidation.
"Courts must place great emphasis upon deterrence for domestic violence offences," he said.
"Everyone who kills their partners started out like you did."
Mr Saines said Lowe's drug driving without a licence in Delacombe in April 2020 put a man's life at risk when he crashed into a parked car while the victim was sitting in the drivers' seat.
Everyone who kills their partners started out like you did.
- Magistrate Ron Saines
Lowe's car continued into the front yard of a property after the impact, damaging two fences.
Mr Saines said a shop theft when he held the door open for a co-accused to steal an armful of coats off a rack in Myer Ballarat was premeditated and serious.
"The bail offences you have pleaded guilty to, failing to answer bail and committing further offences while on bail shows your disrespect for your court based obligations," he said.
"Hiding from police when the warrant was executed showed continuing disregard. You knew the police were after you. You sought to do anything you could to avoid accountability."
The court heard this was Lowe's second time in prison which means there would be a focus on sending a message of deterrence when sentencing.
"If you keep doing these things the courts will have to consider longer and more significant terms of imprisonment to send the message you have got to stop," Mr Saines said.
Lowe has already served 238 days in prison and will likely be released soon after sentencing.
He will begin a community corrections order when he is released with 60 hours unpaid community work and treatment and rehabilitation for drug abuse and men's behaviour change.
He was disqualified from driving for eight months.
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