By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A magistrate has criticised an ice-addict’s corrections-order regime as “a joke” after the man terrorised family members weeks after failing a drug test.
The man breached intervention orders protecting his father, mother and sister by arriving at their Officer home in an ice-affected state in February, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told.
More than two months earlier he had failed an Office of Corrections drug screening after a “high reading” of ice was detected in his system.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said “what makes this a joke” was that after the failed drug test, Corrections staff failed to organise a follow-up drug appointment before 20 February.
The man also hadn’t engaged with mental health treatment as part of the order, Mr Vandersteen noted.
“These programs aren’t coming at him hard enough,” he said.
“They’re letting him run. The more they let him run, the parameters of the programs are stretched.”
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Amber-Lea Browne told the court that the man was “angry” and “aggressive” when he arrived at the family home in February.
During an argument he destroyed his sister’s phone, punched several dents into her car and chased her around the car.
The “petrified” mother called over the sister to shelter behind her near a fence while she stood in front of the accused.
The man then head-butted the fence and threw a rubbish bin onto the road.
Mr Vandersteen said that it was lucky for the females that six nearby workmen intervened.
The man then left the home – though only after putting on a high-vis vest and punching a crack into a bedroom window.
The man’s family was at high-risk while the man continued to use ice, Mr Vandersteen said.
“It only takes 20-30 seconds of madness for somebody to be killed.”
He noted the man – who blamed “the government” for his predicament – had “very poor” insight into his own behaviour.
The man’s mother pleaded to the court for the man to continue living at the family home – otherwise he’d be rendered homeless.
“He has no friends and family left. He only has me and his dad now.
“If he’s not going to live with us, he’ll steal cars and live in cars.”
In August the accused threatened to kill his father and smash up the father’s house.
He also allegedly called the father a “c***” and “dog” after his father refused to hand over the man’s car that had been seized by police, the court heard.
The man’s defence lawyer said ice had “absolutely ruined” the former tow-truck business owner’s life since he started using about four years ago.
The accused had been due to start drug counselling and anger management courses prior to his recent arrest, the lawyer said.
The man was jailed for 90 days and placed on a 12-month “intensely” supervised community corrections order with drug and mental health treatment.
“The risk isn’t while you’re in custody, it’s when you get out,” Mr Vandersteen said.
