A ROBINVALE man accused of family violence, aggravated burglary, assault, and breaking into the Robinvale Pound has been praised for his interactions with court services.
The 39-year-old appeared before Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Thursday during a plea hearing.
The court heart the man had consistently been engaged with the Court Integrated Services Program for four months, to attend support programs for his mental health and drug treatment needs.
His lawyer, Jamie McConnachie, told the court her client’s interaction with the program would finish this month, and that “he’s done very well”.
The court had previously heard statements of the alleged facts of his charges, relating to seven different informants, which the man had since entered a guilty plea for.
Among the summaries were allegations the man refused to stop for police at a preliminary breath testing station on the Sturt Highway in Mildura on October 8 last year.
The court was told the vehicle driven was unregistered, and required an alcohol interlock system.
The man was also accused of trespassing into a fenced-off building in either October or November last year, where he allegedly stole a Sony Shake 77 stereo system, valued at $1000.
The court was told the man had fishtailed a Ford ute on George Street, Robinvale in front of police on February 7 this year.
Police described the ute as having two bald rear tyres, and broken front and rear windscreens, and did not have an alcohol interlock device.
The man allegedly tested positive to methylamphetamine and a cannabinoid after taking an oral fluid test, the court heard.
The 39-year-old was also accused of breaking into the Robinvale Pound on February 24 with a co-accused to free two dogs, causing $1500 damage to the pound.
The court previously heard that on February 29 the man allegedly injured a woman’s eye during a physical altercation, while in breach of an existing family violence intervention order.
He also faced two charges of unlawful assault, and charges of make threat to kill and recklessly cause injury from a June 7 dispute allegedly concerning money.
The prosecution had previously told the court the man punched the June 7 victim in the face multiple times with closed fists, and folded up a piece of garden hose and hit him with that as well.
The court had also been told the 39-year-old faced accusations of damaging property, had caused more than $1000 of damage to someone’s vehicle, and that he and a co-accused allegedly trespassed a Robinvale home on June 17.
Magistrate Russell Kelly had considered the man’s dedication to attending support programs since the alleged offending, and decided to give the man a 12-month supervised community corrections order, which would focus of mental health support and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
“You’re a good news story, you’ve done really well,” Mr Kelly told the man.
“The reason you’re getting a community corrections order and not in jail is because you’ve done everything right.
“But you’ve got to make the right decisions … you previously got caught up with the wrong people.”
The man will attend a County Court directions hearing on January 25.
