Man’s life of crime

Guilty plea to robbery

A CLIFTON Springs man’s life was in “chaos” when he threatened and stole $150 from a former work colleague, a court has heard.

Glenn Zizas, 45, pleaded guilty in Geelong County Court yesterday to a charge of robbery and breaching a suspended sentence.

The father-of-two had been smoking ice and couch surfing for a month when he passed a work site in Bell Post Hill on March 4 last year.

At the site, Zizas noticed a man he had previously worked with through his role as the owner of a demolition business. Despite a suspended jail term hanging over his head, Zizas confronted the victim and demanded money, which he later claimed was payback for a debt.

The court heard the eightmonth suspended sentence had been imposed in 2016 after a burglary at a BP service station.

Defence lawyer Tim Sullivan said his client’s life spir- alled out of control when he was forced out of the family home after an assault on his partner.

“His life was in chaos. He had nowhere to live, no bank accounts, no ID, and for one month was living hand to mouth with friends,” Mr Sullivan said. “He happened to pass the victim at a work site while he was walking along the street. He was desperate for money, a broken man and homeless.”

Mr Sullivan said Zizas was once a semi-professional kickboxer but turned to drugs at 19.

An initial use of cannabis quickly evolved into an addiction to speed and then heroin, Mr Sullivan said.

Judge Irene Lawson noted Zizas had 12 pages of criminal history and had spent much of his adult life in and out of jail for burglaries and thefts.

The court heard Zizas — who has been in custody for 11 months — must serve at least another eight months due to the breach of the suspended sentence. He will be sentenced on Thursday.