Ricky Dean Wilson jailed for car thefts in Geelong

A sex offender who said “jail feels like home”, was back on the streets stealing cars just months after he was released from prison.

Ricky Wilson

A registered sex offender who stole cars across Geelong was arrested by police in someone’s bathroom while on the toilet.

Ricky Dean Wilson pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court last week to a number of charges, including car theft.

The 28-year-old was jailed for five months.

Wilson, who has constantly been in and out of jail, was most recently released from prison in May last year.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Denise Frame told the court Wilson became embroiled in an argument with two people at a home in Waurn Ponds on July 23, 2023.

As the argument escalated, Wilson stole one of the victim’s cars and fled the scene.

He handed himself to police on August 11 and was charged.

Constable Frame said Wilson was also involved in the theft and burglary of a car at the Geelong Homemaker Centre in Waurn Ponds on September 28, last year.

The court heard Wilson, and a co-accused, walked into the Macpac store and stole a handbag which contained a set of keys.

The pair fled from the store and used the keys to steal a car parked out the front of the shop.

On November 1, Wilson broke into a home about 6am through an unlocked side door and stole various cards, cash and two sets of car keys.

Just before 7am, the victim woke up and realised two cars were missing from her carport and phoned police.

Wilson was spotted by an officer just before 9am, and a police helicopter was called in to assist.

“The vehicles were seen to perform dangerous overtaking manoeuvres,” Constable Frame said.

Footage from the helicopter showed Wilson entering a Corio home at about 9.30am.

Police knocked on the residents door and located Wilson on the toilet.

He was taken to the police station and arrested just before 11am.

Wilson’s lawyer, Stephanie Mawby, said her client felt at home in jail and had become institutionalised.

Ms Mawby said her client had complex mental health issues, was opioid dependent and was homeless when he was released from jail.

The court also heard Wilson failed to meet obligations as a registered sex offender, because he didn’t inform police he had changed his phone number.

Magistrate Peter Mellas said Wlson kept returning to jail because of persistent reoffending.

Wilson, who has already served two and-a-half months in jail, was convicted and sentenced to

five months in jail and disqualified from driving for five months.

Originally published as Ricky Dean Wilson jailed for car thefts in Geelong