Man picks jail time over drug treatment

A RAVENSWOOD man has opted to spend eight months in prison rather than serve a drug treatment order, as he did not want to burden his family.

Scott Thomas Riley, 36, previously pleaded guilty to 10 different charges, the crimes all alleged to have happened on March 23 this year.

He was sentenced by Magistrate Simon Brown in Launceston yesterday.

Riley was driving unlicensed and under the influence of cannabis when police attempted to intercept him in Ravenswood. He failed to pull over, fled the scene and hid “on a garden shed” at a Ravenswood property.

Police found a stolen, loaded sawn-off 12-gauge Lanber shotgun in the car Riley had been driving. Riley was arrested and charged with evading police, firearms offences, breach of a family violence order and using cannabis.

Magistrate Brown said having a loaded firearm in a public place “caused very real concern”, but the offence was “far from uncommon in the community”.

He said Riley had a “long and significant drug history” and significant criminal record going back 15 years.

Magistrate Brown said Riley had sought to be assessed for a drug treatment order on his last court appearance, but no longer pursued that option.

Defence lawyer Jessica Stewart said her client preferred to be sentenced to imprisonment than serve a drug treatment order as he did not wish to be a burden on his family.

Magistrate Brown convicted and sentenced Riley to eight months’ imprisonment and disqualified him from driving for 18 months.