‘More starts than Phar Lap’

Magistrate fuming during sentencing

A MAN followed a 15-year-old girl home from an IGA in Cairns and asked to have sex with her, a court has heard.

The magistrate criticised police for failing to amend a charge to something more serious when he sentenced a man on 34 charges this week.

Police prosecutor Christine Fresta told the court the charge of public nuisance had an element of sexual intention and she sought to have that charge stood aside.

The court heard that on Aumental gust 18, Brent William Leon, 54, followed the girl home, knocked on her door and asked to have sex with her and he was charged with public nuisance.

He told the girl he was 29 years old. The incident was recorded on CCTV and on the girl’s phone.

Magistrate James Norton expressed frustration the charge had not been amended.

“This case has had more starts than Phar Lap,” he said.

“Why has nobody done anything about this – you’re carrying the can,” he told Ms Fresta. “The arresting office needs to be spoken to sternly.

“Someone in the prosecutor’s office is sitting on their hands, and I want to know why,” Magistrate Morton fumed.

He refused Ms Fresta’s application for an adjournment for the charge to be amended.

Leon faced 34 charges including multiple fraud charges, stealing, enter premises and commit indictable offence, assault police officer, trespass and breach bail.

Magistrate Morton noted there were multiple fail to appear charges.

“This man has just been given a green light by police to continue to reoffend – scrounging offences using other people’s bankcards to feed alcohol and cigarettes,” he said.

Leon went in to a Sheridan St business, approached the receptionist and asked her for sex, then stole phones and wallets and went across the road to Dunwoody’s Hotel to start using the bankcards he had fleeced, the court heard.

He jumped a fence into a yard and tried to enter a home.

Defence solicitor John Ide said Leon had a background of

health issues and had a monthly injection for treatment, and the periods of offending were when he was not compliant with medication.

“We are not dealing with someone in full control of his faculties – he told the girl he was 29, and he’s not exactly George Clooney,” Mr Ide said.

Magistrate Morton said Leon needed assistance and imposed an intensive supervision order. He handed down a head sentence of 12 months, with parole effective from January 11, noting Leon had served 114 days.