‘Pro’ burglar released immediately due to ill health

A ‘professional’ burglar caught driving the getaway car from a house he’d helped rob has been given a prison reprieve after his lawyer said the court should show mercy because of his health.

Travis Michael Lucas was supposed to begin chemotherapy in February but had not received the treatment while in custody awaiting his sentence.

A ‘PROFESSIONAL’ burglar caught driving the getaway car from a house he’d helped rob has been given a prison reprieve so he can begin treatment for stage four throat cancer.

A court heard Travis Michael Lucas, 47, was supposed to begin chemotherapy in February but had not received the treatment while in custody awaiting his sentence.

He today pleaded guilty to a series of charges including burglary, fraud, drug driving and drug possession offences.

He was sentenced to 12 months prison but given immediate parole so he could begin chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment on Monday.

Lucas’ lawyer, Eugene O’Sullivan, said the court should show mercy to his client — who committed the crimes while on two separate probation orders — because he likely had only months to live.

“In short, he’s been a professional burglar but oddly enough he’s never been a house breaker,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Oddly enough the one before you today is one of the first times he’s ever been a house breaker. He’s always knocked off premises. He’s knocked off chemists, he’s knocked off newsagents, he’s knocked off commercial premises.

“He has been that through his life to support his drug habits.”

Mr O’Sullivan said his client’s offending slowed dramatically after he was nearly killed running from a break-in back in 2013.

“He was involved in a burglary of a chemist shop and he was covering for one of his brothers and two younger blokes.

“They heard the sirens … he said, you mob go out the back door, get into the car and go.

“He drew the attention of the police and ran down the street and got to a fence that he thought was just a six-foot fence (and) hiked over it.”

But, the court was told, on the other side was a nearly 5m drop and Lucas was badly injured. He broke his back, acquired a brain injury and spent months in a coma.

“As his dear mother says to me, he seems to have this death wish which has now almost been offered to him by God,” Mr O’Sullivan told the court.

The lawyer said Lucas would live with his mother, who would see to his treatment in a much more comfortable manner than being driven back and forth to hospital each day in the prison bus.

“I’m instructed that he’s been told the prognosis is not good … that it’s a matter of months, not a matter of years,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

Magistrate Penelope Hay told Lucas she was releasing him immediately, taking into account his ill health.

“One of the other main factors in reducing the severity of the penalty I might otherwise impose today is of course your current medical condition,” Ms Hay said.

“Clearly suffering this condition means that any time you spend in custody is time more difficult for you to serve than a prisoner who is in good health.

“And that must be, and is, taken into account by me today and has been a significant feature in my determination not to make you serve any further time in custody.

“To be clear, you will be released today.”