Repeat offender jailed for 14 months

Steven James Mitchell appeared via videolink from Hakea Prison on August 8 when he was sentenced at Rockingham Magistrates Court.

Mitchell had been in custody since June 17, 2016, and had pleaded guilty to having no authority to drive, obstructing police, possessing methamphetamine, two charges of possessing drugs with intent to sell or supply, two charges of possessing unlawfully obtained property, stealing and using an unlicensed vehicle.

The prosecutor said police saw Mitchell sitting on a stationary motorbike on Grange Drive in Waikiki at 5.40pm on June 17.

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After a search, police found a backpack with 6.7g of cannabis, $1410 in cash and a mobile phone with messages related to selling drugs, including photos of clipseal bags with cannabis in them.

On May 14 at 12.10pm Mitchell was picked up by police for speeding on Gilmore Avenue in Leda.

He stopped but ran off into bushland. Police caught him with a backpack containing 14g of cannabis in 14 clipseal bags, $321.05 in cash, two bags with less than .01g of methamphetamine, a stolen credit card and set of scales.

The bike was unlicensed, had no registration plates and Mitchell had no authority to drive.

On June 19, Mitchell went to hospital for treatment to a facial injury; while seated in the waiting room he stole an iPhone 6.

The prosecutor said he currently had nine court suspensions from driving, the offences had occurred less than six weeks after his release from prison and that Mitchell admitted to selling the cannabis to support his methamphetamine habit.

The duty lawyer said he had written a letter of remorse to the court and would benefit from substance abuse counselling.

Magistrate Leanne Atkinson said the pre-sentence report found Mitchell not suitable for orders or suspended imprisonment.

“You have been given options of suspended imprisonment before but it has been no deterrent and your offending has been of a repetitive nature,” she said.

“There also needs to be a message of general deterrence to the community for those wishing to engage in drug dealing.”

She sentenced him to 14 months imprisonment from June 17, 2016, and made him eligible for parole.

He was fined $200 for obstructing police, $600 for stealing, $100 for no driver’s licence and $400 for unlawfully obtained property including forfeiture of that cash.