No jail for drunken episode on ferry

A MAN who caused almost $3000 damage to a Spirit of Tasmania brig during a drunken rampage has been ordered to serve 42 hours community service.

Peter Jeffrey Rose, 25, had pleaded guilty to unlawfully injuring property and disorderly conduct.

The court heard Rose, who works in the fishing industry, boarded the ferry in Melbourne on June 9 as a walk-on passenger. By midnight, Rose had visited all the bars on the ferry and later estimated he had consumed 12 VB stubbies.

During sentencing yesterday, Chief Justice Alan Blow said Rose became aggressive when he was approached by security officers, telling them to “get f....d”.

The behaviour led to him being arrested, handcuffed and locked in the vessel’s brig.

Chief Justice Blow said the brig was poorly designed, allowing Rose to escape.

“Mr Rose pulled a metal strip off the wall and used that metal strip to pull sections of the wall away, exposing insulation and water pipes,” he said.

“He used a piece of copper pipe to remove screws from the ceiling panel … climbed into a void above the ceiling, picked a lock to an external door and freely walked back to his seat, where he went to sleep.”

Chief Justice Blow said the actions resulted in an estimated damage bill of $2918.65.

Rose was arrested and charged by police once the ship docked in Devonport.

The court heard Rose was also charged in 2016 after he got drunk and caused damage to a police holding cell.

Chief Justice Blow told Rose if he committed a similar offence again he could expect to receive a prison sentence.

Rose was also ordered to pay compensation to Spirit of Tasmania owners TT-Line for the damage.

A Spirit of Tasmania spokesman yesterday said the brigs on both ships had been strengthened since the incident.