Experts address issues of court sentencing following spate of violent Geelong crimes

Questions are being raised over the perceived leniency of court sentencing following a spate of violent knife crimes across Geelong.

There has been a number of violent offenders front the Geelong courts in recent times. Picture: Brad Fleet

Questions are being raised over the perceived leniency of court sentencing following a spate of recent violent knife crimes across Geelong.

The increase in stabbings and offences involving weapons has seen a co-ordinated response from Geelong police in recent times, with a major blitz again conducted in Corio on Friday.

It comes as veteran youth worker Les Twentyman said young people were being saturated with “too much entertainment” to the point that “carrying a weapon is just like carrying a mobile phone”.

The Geelong Advertiser has been contacted by a number of alarmed residents raising eyebrows over the amount of recent offenders walking from court on community corrections orders (CCO).

Les Twentyman is calling for a ban on the sale of machetes in Victoria. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

One former police officer, who did not want to be named, said many magistrates and judges were “terrified” of having their sentences appealed and a superior court overturning them.

An Armstrong Creek woman who stabbed an Uber Eats driver and taunted the victim’s wife on Facebook, was placed on a CCO in the Geelong Magistrates Court earlier this month.

Isabella Maher, 18, approached an Uber Eats driver on April 15 while carrying a knife and told him she would stab him before she attacked.

Maher pleaded guilty to charges including unlawful assault, making threats to kill, assaulting emergency workers on duty, theft, burglary, intentionally causing injury and using a controlled weapon without excuse.

A magistrate described the incident as “very concerning” and convicted Maher, handing her a 12-month therapeutic community corrections order.

In June, a Geelong offender received a fine and was placed on community corrections order after threatening a man with a knife in Belmont and committing a series of thefts and burglaries.

In the same month, a woman who lunged at her neighbour with a kitchen knife also received a 12-month CCO.

Isabella Maher

Grovedale’s Jordy Warren, 33, pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon, possessing methamphetamine and cannabis, and being drunk and disorderly in public.

Former Chair of the Sentencing Advisory Council, Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg, said he could understand public angst around perceived leniency of court sentencing involving serious

offending, however noted many factors had to be considered by magistrates and judges.

They are governed by a number of sentencing principles and purposes including parsimony, proportionality, parity, totality, just punishment, deterrence, rehabilitation, denunciation and community protection.

Professor Freiberg said young people under the age of 25 “were a particularly difficult group of offenders.”

“It is understandable because first of all, the courts don’t always get it right. There is no doubt about that,” he said.

“The use of Community Corrections Orders can be quite useful in a keeping offenders in the community, where that is a reasonable possibility.

Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg.

“Mainly if they are employed, and if they have got accommodation. 

“So unemployment, lack of accommodation and lack of a family, if anything else that is guaranteed to confirm your criminal behaviour.”

He said other factors, such as substance dependence, mental disability and mental disorders all had to be considered when allowing an offender to undertake a CCO.

“Any of those factors will help explain what a judge did,” he said.

Mr Twentyman said he could understand public frustration at some of the court’s decisions.

He also said it was “far too easy” for Geelong criminals to get access to weapons, such as machetes.

“As I said recently, kids have to understand this is real blood, it’s not a Netflix series where there is going to be another season the next year or the year after,” he said.

“This is real blood, and real tough crime and they are going to ruin the rest of their lives at the cost of someone else losing theirs.”

Geelong Investigation and Response Manager Inspector Karl Curran said intelligence indicated knife crime across wider Geelong “remains at relatively low levels” but his team was “not sitting idle and waiting for offenders to cause harm.”

Inspector Karl Curran. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Police have conducted seven OMNI operations across the CBD and Corio Village in the past four months alone to identify anyone carrying weapons.

Corio has been a known trouble spot for knife crime.

“Police will continue to target knife crime from all angles, including running further OMNI operations and patrolling around busy community locations,” he said.

“Pleasingly, these operations have not resulted in a significant number of weapons being uncovered.

“It remains rare for someone to be stabbed and when it does occur, the overwhelming majority relate to family violence or incidents where parties are known.”

If members of the public have any information regarding people carrying or possessing illegal weapons, they are encourage to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.”

Originally published as Experts address issues of court sentencing following spate of violent Geelong crimes