Hayden Eric Delaney: Drugs blamed for teen’s brazen crime spree

An 18-year-old Crestmead dad who got busted after going on a break-in spree has been given a stern warning in court to deal with his drug habit.

An 18-year-old Crestmead dad who got busted after going on a break-in spree has been given a stern warning in court to deal with his drug habit.

Hayden Eric Delaney, 18, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday to 24 charges including eight counts of fraud, two counts of entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence and seven counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The court heard Delaney committed a string of offences, including four home break-ins, between December 21 last year to January 31 this year.

Magistrate Clare Kelly said he was also facing seven unlawful use of motor vehicle charges where Delaney had at times broken into homes, and stolen car keys and vehicles.

“While there are no full amount of damages, I can only assume that it would go the thousands of dollars, as well as the inconvenience for all those people, involved having to sort out what’s been missing and replace some of the cars which are very expensive items,” she said.

The court heard he was also charged with receiving tainted property, namely vehicle keys, on an unknown date between January 18 and February 1.

Delaney’s lawyer Bruce Affleck said the reason for his client’s offending was that he was on drugs at the time.

He said the 18-year-old had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and had contracted Covid-19 while in custody.

The court heard he had no criminal history and he had spent 78 days in pre-sentence custody.

Magistrate Clare Kelly said the issue of drugs was obviously something that needed to be addressed with Delaney.

He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment with an immediate parole release date and the 78 days he spent in pre-sentence custody was declared time served.

In relation to his fraud charges, he was ordered to pay compensation for the amounts of $13.25, $76.50, 89.97, $65.80, $330, $109.99 and $74.