Stay off drugs, busted father told in court
A GEELONG man has been jailed after using a small axe to smash into a workwear store and steal thousands of dollars worth of goods.
John Young, 41, broke through the doors of Breakwater’s On the Go Safety and Workwear store and stole $12,780 worth of clothing before fleeing.
He pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates’ Court to the theft and other charges last month and was sentenced on Thursday to 172 days behind bars, with 78 days counted as already served.
During the September plea hearing, the court heard Young was also seen trying to break into the De Grandi Cycle & Sport store on Moorabool St, South Geelong, but was unable to get in.
In April 2022, just a few months earlier, a man heard loud noises outside his house and walked outside to find
Young next to his car.
Young, who caused more than $1800 worth of damage to the car in an attempt to steal it, told the man he thought it was already stolen.
In October 2021, the court heard Young was aggressive with his former partner and their two adult sons before demanding the sons, then aged 18 and 23, fight him.
That followed Young pushing his former partner when she refused to drive him to his then-address in Norlane, forcing the sons to intervene and restrain him. Sentencing Young, Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said the offending had “largely been the result of drug issues” but Young had “shown some interest this time in getting on top of that”.
“I suspect you have thought that in the past but haven’t acted on it,” Mr Klestadt said.
“I really want you to make that a priority.”
Mr Klestadt said it would be important for Young to stay off drugs if he wanted to make it up to his family.
In addition to the imprisonment term, Mr Klestadt sentenced Young to a 15-month community corrections order that includes drug and alcohol treatment and mental health programs. Young was also fined $1200.
“If you can show them and show me that you can take that requisite actions, you’re going to have a much better chance of those things going the way you want them to,” Mr Klestadt said.