Abuse survivor's traumas shed light on his 'life of crime'

THE man stole more than $15,000 in sunglasses and assaulted a woman while on various good behaviour bonds.

The man had been subjected to severe childhood abuse after being taken into care. Picture: istock

STEALING sunglasses and an assault would have been enough to send this man to prison.

But severe childhood traumas and a willingness to seek help have afforded the Banora Point resident a chance to change his ways.

The 51-year-old, who cannot be named, appeared before Tweed Heads Local Court via video link from custody on Wednesday.

He had been on numerous good behaviour bonds for property and violence offences, but stole a $210 pair of sunglasses, then 169 pairs of glasses worth more than $15,800, in two separate incidents in Tweed Heads South and Banora Point last year.

In the second incident, he also caused $450 worth of damage to a shop wall.

Along with the thefts, he was convicted of assaulting a woman in a June 24, 2018 incident.

His solicitor Phillip Mulherin told the court his client had been adopted at birth and then faced a life of trauma.

The court heard both his adoptive parents had died by the time he was eight years old.

Then, in the care of the state, he faced severe sexual abuse.

Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy acknowledged the man had given evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Mr Dunlevy said the Royal Commission had heard he was "being exposed to pedophiles, sadists and incompetent people” while in the state's care system.

"It doesn't excuse your behaviour, but it can help to explain why ... you have fallen into a life of crime,” Mr Dunlevy said.

He said while a Community Corrections report detailed "many years having difficult dealing with” the man, he had recently appeared "more responsive to the assistance they can offer”.

Although he said the man's criminal history suggested his recent offending was "just a continuation of would could be described as a life of crime”, Mr Dunlevy took into account his "good prospects of rehabilitation”, struggles with mental health, drugs and alcohol, and his willingness to seek help for these problems.

"I must impose some form of imprisonment (but) ... it is a simple fact that it is easier to see a psychiatrist or psychologist when you're not in custody,” he said.

Mr Dunlevy revoked each of the man's good behaviour bonds and sentenced him to a three year intensive corrections order.

But he warned any breach of the conditions - which includes a ban on drug and alcohol use - would land him straight back in custody.

"If you misuse the opportunity that I'm affording you, then you will be sent to prison,” he said.

He ordered compensation totalling about $16,000 be paid to the victim and insurer from the second theft.