Serial offender’s descent into drugs, crime laid bare during appeal bid

During his appeal bid, a court has heard of how a Coffs Coast hospitality worker fell into a life of hard drugs and crime.

Reiley Jay Amos' "appalling" criminal history was detailed during his recent appeal bid in Coffs Harbour District Court. Amos was arrested and convicted in 2019 for crashing into a police dog unit van while attempting to evade his arrest (left). Photos: NSW Police.

A court has heard of the “curious history” behind a Coffs Coast hospitality worker’s descent into a life of hard drugs and crime.

Reiley Jay Amos, 31, was slammed by the Judge for his “appalling” rap sheet during his recent appeal bid in Coffs Harbour District Court.

“Cutting to the chase – he’s got a terrible drug problem and he doesn’t know what’s good for him,” Judge Jonathan Priestley said.

“He’s got a record in the last three years which is appalling and there’s a huge need to protect the public from him … isn’t that the guts of it?”

Amos appeared before Judge Priestley in a bid to appeal the severity of his jail sentence, which was handed down in Coffs Harbour Local Court after he stole a car and crashed it on the Pacific Highway – while on a disqualified licence – in January this year.

The court heard that Amos had crashed the car on the morning of January 21 at Halfway Creek while “on the run” after taking the vehicle from a friend without permission the day before.

A witness who called Triple 0 found Amos slumped over the wheel of the vehicle, which had been described as wrapped around a pole, and said he became aggressive and left the scene.

Coffs Harbour man Reiley Jay Amos has appealed the severity of his jail sentence in Coffs Harbour District Court. Photo from Facebook.

He was arrested while walking around a kilometre north of the crash scene, and was charged with driving while disqualified and take conveyance without consent. In March, he was sentenced in Coffs Harbour Local Court to 14 months jail with a non-parole period of eight months.

The defence argued at his appeal hearing last week that Amos did not receive a 25 per cent discount which he was entitled to for entering early guilty pleas to the charges.

They told the Judge that when freed he intended to move to Guyra to be with his newborn son and to get away from his negative peers in Coffs Harbour, who he said fuelled his ice addiction.

The court heard how up until 2018, Amos had a “curious history” having gone eight years without committing crimes and working in local restaurants. He had a history in Qld prior to 2010, before moving to Coffs.

It was in 2018 however when his ice addiction took hold and he stopped working, and his crimes in NSW began.

Amos appeared in Coffs Harbour District Court via audio visual link from jail for his appeal hearing. Photo Leigh Jensen / Coffs Coast Advocate

In the span of three years the court heard he had been convicted of several offences including assault, possessing a weapon, two police pursuits, drug driving, seven counts of driving while disqualified, driving an unregistered vehicle, three counts of take and drive conveyance without consent, and drive in manner dangerous.

In one incident in 2019, Amos was arrested in Sapphire Beach after he crashed a stolen car into a police dog unit van while trying to evade his arrest, injuring an officer.

Judge Priestley said this was an “incomplete list” of his convictions, and at the time of the January 2021 offence he was on parole for break and enter.

He has previously been admitted to a rehab program however he absconded on the first night, the court heard.

Judge Priestley took into account that Amos had a desire to play a role in his newborn child’s life but said he was not confident in Amos’ ability to stay away from drugs. He noted that the child was born while Amos was in jail.

“I don’t accept he has reached the point where I can be confident that if I was to release him, it would result in him going on to be a beautiful father and free of his demons,” he said.

Despite his noted high risk of reoffending, Judge Priestley said Amos had a “whole life ahead of him” and agreed to reduce his jail term by 25 per cent.

Amos’ sentence has been reduced to 10 months with a non-parole period of six months. He will be eligible for parole in July.