Magistrate criticises man’s ‘stupid’ name

A magistrate has questioned why a man, appearing in a court north of Brisbane on 10 charges, was named after a notorious outlaw.

A man being sentenced for 10 charges in a court north of Brisbane has been asked by the magistrate why he was named after famous American outlaw, Jesse James.

Twenty-six-year-old Jesse Anthony James of Woody Point, appeared via video link in Redcliffe Magistrates Court on August 25, facing five related drug charges, unlawful possession of a motor vehicle, a failure to appear in accordance with undertaking, authority required to possess explosives and two charges relating to denying police access to devices.

Magistrate Paul Byrne told James it was a mistake for his parents to name James after the notorious American outlaw Jesse James.

“I can’t see the sense in that,” Mr Byrne said.

“He’s your namesake and you’ve gotta live and carry on like him.

“It’s just stupid.

“If someone was stupid enough to call their kid Adolf Hitler, he’d probably change the first name and the last name.

“I’ll lighten up the situation, I’m not attacking them, I’m just saying they might not have been thinking at the time.”

Jesse Anthony James. Picture: Facebook/Jesse James

Mr Byrne added James came before the court with an unenviable history as a person of his age.

“As for driving, I’d doubt you‘ll be getting a job as a chauffeur for the governor,” Mr Byrne said.

“In 2019 you racked up 11 charges in 12 months, almost one a month and they weren’t just minor things.

“These charges were committed while you were on parole, that’s just stupid.”

James’ defence lawyer Andrew Stewart said James left Clontarf State High School in Year 10 and had worked regularly since leaving school as a scaffolder or a formworker in concreting.

Mr Stewart said upon release, James had work available as a formworker with a concreting company in Clontarf.

“He does have an ongoing drug problem, that’s clear with his history,” Mr Stewart said.

“He tells me he’s anxious to address that problem.

“He seems to fall into, when he’s not occupied by work or something else, he seems to fall. into a pattern of using ice and heroin.

“He tells me that when it’s at its worst, he’s using up to a gram a day.

“He was doing well up until January 2022 which coincided with a point where he lost his work.”

Mr Stewart added from 2016 is when the real drug issues arrised for James which eventually led to a lengthy parole sentence on April 23, 2020.

James was sentenced to 12 months probation and a conviction was recorded.