Runaway car thief freed
A TEEN bailed three times before crashing a stolen car into another vehicle has again been set free by a magistrate.
Two people were hospitalised when Dylan Jones ran a red light and crashed into the side of their car at the intersection of Kilgour and Moorabool streets in May.
The 19-year-old — who had just been on a five-hour crime spree — fled the scene without checking on the couple.
The Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday the two people were left “extremely shaken” and suffered major bruising after the crash, which happened shortly after 12am on May 31.
Earlier that night, Jones stole two cars from homes in Belmont and Grovedale.
He also rummaged through multiple vehicles, and was caught in the act by owners of a Volkswagen in the Geelong hospital car park.
One of the owners pinned Jones against the car before releasing him.
Jones then fled in a station wagon he had stolen earlier in the night, driving off erratically before crashing into another car moments later.
Victim impact statements were read to the court in which both people in the other car said they had suffered nightmares since the crash.
The two victims also said they were now afraid to leave their homes.
Jones, of Whittington, pleaded guilty yesterday to more than 50 charges, including dangerous driving, along with multiple burglaries and car thefts.
In the months leading up to the May crash, Jones had been bailed three separate times by authorities.
In November, he was set free after being arrested for breaking into 25 cars in one night in Highton, in which windows of more than 10 of them were smashed.
He was bailed again in early January when police charged him with stealing a car from South Geelong, which happened several days before the Highton break-ins.
Jones was bailed a third time after being arrested in March for ransacking an 87year-old woman’s home in Morwell with four others.
Until yesterday, the former St Joseph’s College student had spent 59 days in custody.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Scott Bell said the offending warranted a “substantial” jail term, noting the combined maximum sentence on the charges totalled more than 500 years.
Despite saying there would be community “horror” at Jones’ crimes, magistrate John Lesser chose to release the man on bail yesterday.
Mr Lesser deferred sentencing on some of the charges — including the dangerous driving charge — until October.
He sentenced Jones on separate charges committed earlier — including four car thefts — and placed the teen on a 15-month corrections order.
As part of the order, Jones will be required to complete 120 hours of unpaid community work.
Mr Lesser said Jones would have three months to prove he could change his behaviour, otherwise he was likely to spend more time in jail when he returns to court.
In the months leading up to the May crash, Jones had been bailed three separate times by authorities.