Bullying grandson wrecked family
A trolley collector’s depraved actions “ripped” a family apart and drove his grandfather out of town and to the brink of suicide, a court has heard.
The tragic reality of elder abuse was revealed in the victim impact statement tendered during Adam Loader’s sentence in Wollongong Local Court on Thursday.
Loader, 33, from Warilla Grove, was found guilty during a previous hearing of demanding property with menace and intent to steal. The court heard he bullied his grandfather, who was in his 70s at the time, during a three-year period between 2017 and 2020.
The court Loader would take his grandfather’s belongings, such as his television, vacuum, jewellery, lawnmower and whipper snippers, before pawning them off.
The victim, who is an aged pensioner, was left scrambling and forced to go to the pawn dealer to buy back the stolen possessions.
Many of the items were pawned off multiple times including the Sanyo television which went through the cycle on a dozen occasions.
The court heard Loader would also steal his grandfather’s pension payments, and follow the victim to his bank before demanding he hand over the cash.
It was heard Loader would stand over his grandfather and threaten to headbutt and stab the victim if he did not oblige.
“This offence and what happened over time made me feel very bad and scared for my safety in my own home,” read the heartbreaking victim impact statement.
“When I left the Illawarra I was suicidal … it was either drive over Macquarie Pass to commit suicide or drive to the country and get away.” In court on Thursday, Magistrate Gabriel Fleming scorned Loader for having “no remorse”. He was sentenced to a two-year intensive correction order and 200 hours community service.