Stock image.
Camera IconStock image. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Suspended prison the only step for serial offender

Tyler BrownJoondalup Times

A MAN is “very lucky” he was not charged with inciting a police chase when he ran a red light to avoid stopping when signalled.

On July 18 Jake Ian Flint (25) was riding a scooter in Duncraig along with another rider on a motorcycle when police activated their sirens.

Flint “immediately accelerated and breached a red light” later coming to a stop at Red Rooster on Beach Road where police apprehended him.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

If police had pursued him, Flint would be facing a mandatory jail sentence of at least six months.

Joondalup Magistrate’s Court heard on Friday he had “no explanation” for failing to stop.

He was then found with 3g of cannabis, 0.1g of methylamphetamine and four dexamphetamine tablets.

Flint told a community corrections officer when he failed to stop he was following his friend who had driven off.

Regarding the drugs, he said he did not realise the dexamphetanine tablets were in his pocket and he was using meth every second day.

However, he said he had been off the cannabis since the offence.

Flint was also appearing on charges from September 13 when he was riding a motorcycle with false number plates on Pier Street in Perth.

When police stopped him they found him with 3.5mL of a purple liquid known on the street as Fantasy.

The bike was also unlicensed and Flint’s licence had been suspended because he had missed a fine payment.

He told a community corrections officer he was driving on the suspended licence “just to get around” because other transport was “not always available”.

In considering an appropriate penalty, the officer said Flint had been given three supervision orders earlier in the year and he had not been complying, nor was he living at the addresses he had provided as part of his bail conditions, saying he often couch surfed.

Therefore she said he would not be suitable for another community based order, which would mean a suspended prison sentence was probably the next option.

However, Magistrate Sandra De Maio said Flint was in a “world of drama” because as well as sentencing him for the July and September incidents, she would also need to re-sentence him for the incidents that led to the community based order because of his non compliance.

The court then heard that between 4pm on December 23 and 8am on December 24, Flint had a $2000 device that had been stolen from a boat at Hillarys Yacht Club.

He then advertised the device on Facebook Marketplace for $500.

But the victim saw the ad and pretended he was a potential buyer so he could identify it was his using the data card.

Flint was charged with possession of stolen or unlawfully obtained property.

His duty lawyer said while he bought the device from a friend, he did have “some suspicion about where it came from”.

Then on December 28 at 3.10pm, Flint entered Myer in Perth with a shopping list and pliers and spent an hour collecting items and removing their security tags, leaving the store with $1288.57 worth of products before he was caught by security.

Ms De Maio said Flint’s actions at Myer, which stocks “more expensive brands”, were “brazen”.

“It was planned – you had a list and pliers,” she said.

“It was well executed in that you got what you came for but you didn’t get away with it.”

She said the possession of the stolen boat device was also serious because it “encourages people to steal”.

“If you provide a customer base, they will want to sell to you,” she said.

“Of course it was suspicious and you should not have touched it.”

In regards to the more recent offences, Ms De Maio said Flint was “so so lucky” he was not charged with a police pursuit, and to the breach of his community based order she said his attitude “absolutely stinks”.

“The previous magistrate gave you the chance to re-engage,” she said.

“That was your leave pass but you didn’t take up the option.

“You’re done. You’re at the point where prison is the only option to me.”

For the stealing and possession of stolen property charges, Flint was sentenced to six months each, suspended for 15 months, and for failing to stop for police, he was fined $1000.

He was also fined $2500 for the drug and minor traffic offences and breach of bail, and another $500 for driving on a suspended licence, which is now disqualified for six months.

“You can turn it around but you need to turn it around now,” Ms De Maio said.

“There are no more chances.”

More from Joondalup court:

Man pleads guilty to assaulting 7yo stepson

Driving without a licence leads to jail