Burglar busted on CCTV
SMASH-AND-GRAB burglar Billy Guest will spend at least a year in jail for a four-month, ice-fuelled crime spree across Geelong.
The 25-year-old robbed businesses and stole cars, led police on high-speed and dangerous pursuits, trafficked drugs and brandished weapons before being arrested in May.
Among businesses Guest yesterday admitted burgling were a refrigeration wholesaler in South Geelong, clothing store in Geelong West, Belmont’s The Cheesecake Shop and a North Geelong auto shop.
Many of the crimes were committed with co-offenders and captured by security cameras, with some footage presented to court and now available to view at geelong advertiser.com.au
He also stole at least three cars, with a combined value of more than $60,000, and led police on pursuits in Newcomb and Moolap in April.
Police say the unlicensed driver reached 140km/h in an 80km/h zone in one pursuit.
Three days later he dumped a car he was driving and ran from police, leaving two women to face the officers.
Guest pleaded guilty to almost 50 charges in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday, and was given a 27-month sentence, with a non-parole period of 12 months.
But Magistrate John Lesser said the bandit would have been facing a much longer stretch if he had not pleaded guilty so early.
“If you continue to offend like this you’re just going to spend longer and longer in custody; that’s the reality,” Mr Lesser told Guest.
“Let’s hope he can turn it around. I’ve no doubt (his) family’s been saying that for some time.”
Guest has spent 121 days in jail since his arrest on May 10.
Before 6am the day before he and a co-offender smashed their way into Freestyle Clothing on Pakington St, stealing 3040 pairs of pants.
Those clothes were found at a Geelong home, police also finding a wealth of other stolen property, including four commemorative 1994 Commonwealth Games gold medals.
The court heard Guest left calling cards at the scene of many crimes, including his wallet, credit card, blood and mobile phone.
On one occasion he left a mobile phone in an abandoned getaway car that was found, still running, outside a burgled business by police.
As the officers compiled their evidence the phone rang, with the female caller asking to speak to “Billy” before hanging up when told it was police on the other end of the line.