Patrick Harrington pleaded guilty to drug, theft charges; sent to rehab as sentence deferred

A drug addict arrested with a stolen Jaguar has been given a lifeline, with a magistrate deferring his sentence so he can go to rehab.

Pat Harrington (left) fronted Geelong Magistrates Court. Picture: Instagram

A drug trafficker arrested with a stolen Jaguar bearing cardboard number plates has been given a lifeline, with a magistrate deferring his sentence so he can go to rehab.

Patrick Harrington, 32, appeared via videolink in Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, dealing with the proceeds of a crime, theft and theft of a motor vehicle.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie deferred Harrington’s sentence so he could complete a residential rehabilitation program at The Cottage in Shepparton, which lawyer Richard Jakobson said could “reignite his prospects”.

But, Mr Guthrie warned Harrington he would face a lengthy jail sentence and miss his child’s first birthday if he failed the program.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Kerrie Moroney told the court Harrington was on two counts of active bail when he and a co-accused were arrested at North Geelong with a stole Jaguar on June 10.

A witness noticed the car had been fitted with cardboard number plates and became suspicious, the court heard.

Constable Maloney said police search of Harrington found $2715 in his wallet, which he told officers was cash from selling a car.

Police searched Harrington and found two resealable bags containing ice, along with items stolen from the Autobarn.

Inside the car, police found a black case, electronic scales, resealable bags,

an Armani bag containing ice and cannabis, a screw-top container containing GHB, and a phone owned by the co-accused with messages from Harrington.

Mr Jakobson asked the court to take into account Mr Harrington’s struggle with drug addiction and said his client been using drugs since he was 14.

“It’s a battle he’s had for more than half his life,” Mr Jakobson said.

Mr Jakobson said Mr Harrington had been using up to 1.5g of ice a day, and often bought in bulk for a week of use.

He said Harrington had failed previous attempts at rehabilitation because he lacked the stability he had found with his current partner.

In May, Harrington learned his partner was pregnant and was intending to clean up his act, the court was told.

In deferring his sentence, Mr Guthrie told Harrington he had “every incentive” to complete the 16-week program and if he failed he faced the prospect of being jailed “for a long period of time”.

“The alleged offending is serious… should you fail, you’ll likely miss your child’s first birthday,” Mr Guthrie said.

Harrington will be bailed on September 13 and taken directly to Shepparton to complete the program.

He is expected reappear in court on October 27.

Originally published as Patrick Harrington pleaded guilty to drug, theft charges; sent to rehab as sentence deferred