A MAN who pointed two guns at a male construction worker, stole his work ute and led police on a chase will serve two years in prison.
Jared Shayne Mitchell (24) pleaded guilty to committing 18 offences, including reckless driving and pointing a firearm at another person, from May 2017 to August 2017.
Mitchell appeared in Mandurah Magistrates Court today via video link from Albany Regional Prison.
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READ NOWPolice prosecutor Sean Discombe said Mitchell entered a Wormall construction site in Madora Bay on August 9, 2017 carrying a shotgun, a handgun and a phone.
He told an employee to “call the police”, then pointed both firearms at the employee before driving away with the employee’s car.
Police said Mitchell evaded them in the stolen car through Mandurah, where he went through red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road.
When he stopped, police found the two guns and a stolen WA drivers licence inside the car.
Ten rounds of ammunition in a camouflage bag and anabolic steroids were also found during a search of his home on August 10.
Mitchell caused a disturbance at The Sebel Mandurah hotel on June 26, 2017 and had a dispute with the manager over a mini bar tab.
Police said Mitchell threatened to drive into the hotel with his car.
He then did burnouts in front of the hotel.
Mitchell’s defence lawyer Terry Dobson told the court Mitchell had spent 281 days in custody since August 2017, and served close to seven months, making him eligible for parole.
Mr Dobson said Mitchell had no excuse for his actions but managed his life by taking drugs.
Mr Dobson said the firearm Mitchell pointed at the construction employee was broken, sitting in the crook of his arm and would not have done anything but terrify the victim.
“He was pointing the gun but the weapon wasn’t closed,” he said.
Constable Discombe said immediate imprisonment should be considered for Mitchell’s sentence because of the seriousness of his offences and to protect the community.
Magistrate Anne Longden said Mitchell had committed an “extremely worrying set of circumstances”.
“Pointing a gun at a man doing his everyday work would’ve been disturbing for him” she said.
Ms Longden said Mitchell had suffered from substance abuse with cannabis, meth and prescribed medication.
“You’ve made some gains while being in custody and you have remorse for your offences,” she said.
Mitchell received a suspended imprisonment order in 2014 for unrelated offences but breached it after he reoffended.
“You have minimal responsibility” Ms Longden said.
“You have a tendency to deflect blame.”
Ms Longden sentenced Mitchell based on his psychiatric and pre-sentence report.
“I understand things have been difficult and you have used substance abuse as a coping mechanism,” she said.
She sentenced Mitchell to a two year accumulative immediate term of imprisonment, backdated to commence from August 10, 2017 and he will be eligible for parole.
He was also fined $3000.
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