THE FRESH OFFENDERS: Our region’s young offenders
From drugs to assault, here are seven young offenders from the Clarence Valley region who have faced court this year.
Police & Courts
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WHILE crime patterns have trended down in the Clarence Valley this past year due to the Covid pandemic, Maclean and Grafton courtrooms have remained busy. And young people have been a big part of that.
From drugs and theft to violence, here are seven offenders under the age of 30 who have faced the magistrate in the past 12 months:
Man bashes ex-partner's new boyfriend with iron bar
Grafton man Corey Brett Cooper entered the home of his former partner and attacked her new boyfriend with a metal bar after he found the pair naked in bed.
The court heard that the 24-year-old and his former partner had been in a relationship for about four years, but around August 2019 the relationship had ended.
Corey Brett Cooper appeared in Grafton District Court for a sentence hearing after confirming pleas of guilty to charges of enter a dwelling with intent to commit an indictable offence and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Ultimately Judge Priestley decided Cooper's punishment would be served in the community, noting his strong prospects for rehabilitation and sentenced Cooper to an 18 month intensive corrections order, including 150 hours community service.
Drug dealer nabbed while breaching social distancing rules
Amber Gull, 24, appeared in Grafton Local Court on Wednesday for sentencing after she pleaded guilty to a number of drug charges, including supply prohibited drug between a small and indictable quantity.
Magistrate Kathy Crittenden sentenced Gull to an eight-month intensive corrections order, with 100 hours community service.
Man faces court for stealing $3K from employers
Part-time employee Blake Harris faced court for stealing more than $3000 during a break-in caught on CCTV at a Townsend business.
According to the agreed facts, Harris had been a part-time employee at the business for around eight months at the time of the break and enter.
The 26-year-old appeared in Maclean Local Court and plead guilty to the 2019 break and enter of the workshop and office of his employer.
Harris was sentenced to a nine month intensive corrections order, which included 100 hours community service. A compensation order of $3000 was also made.
Man avoids jail for assaulting heavily pregnant partner
South Grafton man Reece Limon appeared in Grafton Local Court facing charges of common assault, intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical harm and damaging property.
Limon plead guilty to assaulting his 32-week pregnant partner earlier this year.
The court heard the victim found the 25-year-old slumped over the steering wheel of the vehicle parked in the front yard. The victim opened the door and Limon started to ramble and shout abuse.
The court heard Limon grabbed the victim's face in a hard grip and said "that was self defence" before he left the room. Police were later called and Limon was arrested.
Limon was sentenced to a community corrections order for 12 months, including 80 hours community service.
Man faces court for smashing mother's boyfriend's car
Samuel Hollingworth, who was charged with taking an axe handle to a car belonging to his mother's boyfriend, entered a plea of guilty to damaging property.
According to police facts the victim was in a relationship with Hollingworth's mother when at about 9pm on August 23, 2020, they got into an argument, as the victim was refusing to leave because he couldn't find his keys.
In Grafton Local Court Hollingworth was sentenced to a community correction order for 12 months.
Lower Clarence crime spree duo enter pleas
Two men have plead guilty to a break and enter crime spree that took place through the Lower Clarence last year.
Jack Edwards, 20, and Aaron Oscar Glaser, 23, both appeared in Grafton Local Court.
Edwards plead guilty to three charges of break and enter dwelling in company, while Glaser plead guilty to four charges of aggravated break and enter dwelling in company, robbery, enter dwelling with intent to steal and aggravated break and enter to commit serious indictable offence.
Both men have entered guilty pleas and have yet to be sentenced.
Ice user who sold drug to feed addiction jailed
A South Grafton ice dealer has been jailed for selling more than 56g of the drug before he was nabbed by police.
Tyson Dean Stoker, 25, appeared in Grafton District Court after he pleaded guilty to three charges of supplying methylamphetamine on an ongoing basis, dating from April to July 2019.
Stoker was sentenced to a full-time jail term of two years and eight months, with a non-parole period of one year and four months. With time served he will be eligible for release on parole on December, 2020.
Mum’s alleged murder case hits roadblock
The man accused of murdering northern NSW mum-of-three Sarah Miles allegedly gave only partial consent to a forensic procedure for police to collect his DNA, complicating further proceedings.
Mechanic beat, smothered noisy neighbour to death
A former mechanic with schizophrenia brutally killed his neighbour by bludgeoning him with a brick and smothering him with a pillow - but has been found not criminally responsible.