Benjamin Craig Faulds given final chance to clean up behaviour and avoid prison despite ‘history’ of break-ins

A burglar and thief with a lengthy criminal history has found himself in deep water, frustrating a magistrate who delivered him an ultimatum.

A man with a history of breaking into people’s homes has been given another chance to avoid prison, a court has heard.

Benjamin Craig Faulds, 29, has been given a final warning to change his behaviour or face imprisonment after facing the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Monday.

Faulds pleaded guilty to one count of serious criminal trespass and one count of dishonestly take property without consent.

In June last year, Faulds entered a Kalangadoo property where he stole a chainsaw, tool boxes and an assortment of tools.

Given the accused’s history Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos said she was left with few options.

Benjamin Craig Faulds fronted the Mount Gambier Magistrate Court after being charged with serious criminal trespass. Picture: Facebook

“In 2010, there were about 14 counts of serious criminal trespass – he is not somebody who is new to this charge,” Magistrate Kossiavelos said.

Following a pre-sentence report, the police prosecutor said she saw “very little purpose to any other supervision or sentence” other than imprisonment.

Though Magistrate Kossiavelos agreed the offending required her to imprison Faulds — she decided to defer the matter.

“Rather than taking submissions now, and having no choice but giving you a term imprisonment, which I don’t want to do, I want to give you a chance,” Magistrate Kossiavelos said.

“It gives me an opportunity to test the water after this discussion that we’ve had – because at the moment things aren’t looking good.”

“I want to see you pick up your game.”

The Tarpeena man returns to court in June.

Last year Faulds was also accused of threatening a woman with a baseball bat in her own home after she rejected him.

A court previously heard he was “foaming at the mouth” and armed when he allegedly entered the Tarpeena property for the second time on June 12, 2021.

He was arrested on June 14 and charged with two counts of aggravated serious criminal trespass, property damage, damaging building or motor vehicle and aggravated commit assault in relation to the incident.

However, prosecution elected not to pursue the matter in October, 2021.