Belmont wedding photographer Joseph Lichstein busted with cocaine after homeless harassment
A Belmont wedding photographer caught harassing homeless people in the Geelong CBD was busted with cocaine.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Geelong wedding photographer was caught with a bag of cocaine after witnesses saw him harassing homeless people in the CBD, a court has heard.
In January, Belmont man Joseph Lichstein was in the CBD about midnight to buy cigarettes when he was spotted by members of the public being “aggressive” towards homeless people.
Police were called to the scene and arrested the 33-year-old after finding he was “belligerent and intoxicated”.
While being held in the cells to sober up, police searched his belongings and found cocaine stashed in a V/Line travel pouch.
Lichstein refused to participate in a police interview and was bailed to appear in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday.
He pleaded guilty to possessing the drug of dependence.
His defence lawyer, Simon Northeast, said Lichstein had been at a bucks party all day that started on a party bus at St Leonard’s Hotel.
Mr Northeast said his client was on his way home and had stopped to buy cigarettes when the incident occurred.
“He had the opportunity to walk away,” Mr Northeast said.
When told about Lichstein’s prior offending for possessing heroin and methamphetamine in the past, Mr Northeast said the new drug possession was just a “blip on his progress”.
Mr Northeast said Lichstein was “starting to grow up”.
He said Lichstein was a successful photographer and occasionally worked at weddings over the weekend.
Magistrate Ann McGarvie said while Lichstein was not charged for harassing homeless people, she told him to “give them a break”.
“Members of the public called triple-0 because a homeless person was being harassed,” Ms McGarvie said.
“Don’t you think they have had a hard enough time living on the streets without drunken idiots harassing them.”
Lichstein was convicted and fined $900.
More Coverage
Originally published as Belmont wedding photographer Joseph Lichstein busted with cocaine after homeless harassment
‘Faster and faster’: Passenger recalls horror bus crash
A Geelong man aboard the bus that ploughed through trees before coming to a stop when it hit traffic lights has told how he thought the crash had killed the driver.
Police probe suspicious fire at Eastern Beach cafe
Police are investigating a suspicious blaze at an Eastern Beach cafe’s storage shed overnight.