Named and shamed: 17 South Australian parents convicted of crimes in 2024
These badly behaved South Australian parents landed themselves in hot water with the law this year. See the crimes of 17 naughty mums and dads exposed.
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As the school year draws to a close it’s a time for reflection and looking back on the year that was 2024.
Many parents have packed hundreds of lunches, dropped their little ones off and gone about each day without much trouble.
But some parents will end the year behind bars, locked in their own homes or signing good behaviour bonds, after their actions landed them in front of a magistrate or judge.
There are the South Australian mums and dads convicted of crimes in 2024 who find themselves on Santa’s naughty list this Christmas.
Mathew Vidic
A father of two and privately educated former SANFL star who held a petrol can over his wife’s head and threatened to burn her alive will spend at least two years behind bars.
In the South Australian District Court in October, Judge Rauf Soulio jailed Mathew Vidic, 42, for his vile domestic abuse of his wife and mother of his children.
Vidic pleaded guilty to one count each of threatening to harm and threatening to kill after his wife recorded him as he repeatedly told her he would burn her alive in their Mitcham home last year.
He had on another occasion taken her phone, garage remote and keys to prevent her leaving.
In her victim impact statement in August, Vidic’s ex-wife, Julia Hodge – a teacher, mother and champion marathon runner – said those incidents were just parts of a “pattern” of abuse.
In sentencing, Judge Soulio said Vidic had told his wife of 16 years that if he couldn’t keep her through love, he would keep her through fear.
Judge Soulio jailed him for four years and four months, with a non parole period of two years and two months.
That sentence was backdated to June last year, meaning Vidic will be eligible for parole in August 2025.
Troy Smith
An SA father found himself in international hot water after he was found with drugs in Bali.
Troy Smith, originally from Port Lincoln, was staring down possible life imprisonment when he was charged with a number of drug offences, including trafficking after local police found methamphetamines in his hotel room.
The 49-year-old father-of-two had been in Bali for just a week before police swooped on the hotel room he shared with his wife Tracy Smith, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
There, they discovered a package with 3.15g of methamphetamine stuffed inside a Colgate toothpaste container — a delivery Smith’s lawyers have maintained was unsolicited.
In June, The Advertiser however revealed his trafficking offences had been dropped from the case, meaning Smith would no longer face the maximum life penalty.
During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Mr Smith admitted he had been using methamphetamine since 2020, to curb an alcohol addiction.
He received a $740,000 fine, and was ordered to spend six months in an Indonesian rehabilitation facility.
Brooke Haynes
A wild night out for a young stay-at-home mother ended in a court date after she launched an attack on a police officer.
Brooke Lee Haynes, 26, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in April where she entered guilty pleas to a count of aggravated commit assault with a weapon and two counts of assault a worker.
Peter Hill, for Haynes, previously told the court his client was enjoying a night off from parenting.
“They had a night off from their son … they have responsibly caught an Uber into town but parents who don’t get away much, the night’s got out of hand clearly due to intoxication,” he said.
Police patrols were called to the popular party strip just before 1am after reports a fight had broken out between a small group of people.
As police intervened, the officer fell to the ground and injured her arm. She was then taken to hospital for undergo treatment.
Haynes of O’Halloran Hill was sentenced to three months imprisonment, which was suspended upon her entering a good behaviour bond of 18 months.
Marwan Banna
A father-of-five from Adelaide’s south who supplied meth to his wife to “enhance” their sexual relationship has been spared jail time, a court has heard.
Marwan Banna, 59, appeared in the District Court in October in front of Judge Anthony Allen for sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of supplying a controlled drug.
During sentencing, Judge Allen noted Banna’s offending occurred while he was on parole for a previous drug trafficking and money laundering conviction, but ultimately accepted the current matter before the court was “towards the lower end of the scale”.
“You supplied the drugs to your wife ostensibly to enhance your sexual interactions,” he said.
“This offending is to be distinguished from other similar offending in that this offending does not necessarily place the wider public at risk.
“You would understand that it would not be in your interest to get involved in any drug offending ever again. That would be very counter-productive for you, and would have a terrible impact on your family.”
Judge Allen sentenced Banna to eight months and 17 days imprisonment – suspended upon entering into a two-year good behaviour bond in the amount of $500.
“Take the opportunity I’ve given you to reform and not come back before the court,” he said.
“I won’t I promise, Your Honour,” Banna replied. “Thank you for understanding.”
Clayton Page
A veteran primary school teacher and father solicited nude images from a 12-year-old girl, before having “sexually explicit conversations” and arranging to meet up with a “14-year-old” girl.
Clayton Page, 57, pleaded guilty to two counts of communicating to make a child amenable to sexual activity, and one count of possessing child exploitation material.
He was arrested by elite detectives from the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team in September last year after sending sexually explicit messages to who he thought was a 14-year-old girl.
That girl, however, turned out to be a covert police officer, and JACET detectives arrested Page after he had expressed interest in “meeting up”.
His children and former partner watched from the court gallery in May as Judge Nicolas Alexandrides recounted the disturbing messages the now deregistered teacher had sent to the undercover officer.
“You suggested that the correspondent wag school and meet you at the Royal Adelaide Show, and that you could pretend to be her father,” Judge Alexandrides said.
Page was jailed for four years, one month and 12 days, with a non-parole period of one year and ten months.
That sentence was backdated to his arrest last year, meaning Page will be eligible for parole in August 2025.
Joseph Ireland
A young father is behind bars after he and two others entangled themselves in a large-scale drug enterprise.
Joseph Ireland pleaded guilty to multiple charges of drug trafficking and one count of possessing a firearm and was sentenced in August
Detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Branch seized ecstasy tablets, fantasy, cocaine, cannabis and firearms as a result of Operation Foster which ran between January and June 2023.
“The operation itself was large, labour intensive of police in relation to drugs that are well known to be very harmful in the community,” a prosecutor previously told the court.
Ireland’s Angle Vale home was searched in May 2023 where they found 40.2g of fantasy, 52g of cannabis and 10g of methamphetamine.
Police also found a sawn-off shotgun and Ireland was caught selling ecstasy and cocaine to undercover police officers on multiple occasions.
Ireland was sentenced to seven years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of four years and nine months.
Aysha Wilson
The need to care for her young daughter kept this meth-dealing mum out of prison, but a District Court judge gave Aysha Wilson a stern warning that if she broke any conditions of her suspended sentence, she’d find herself behind bars.
Wilson, of Christies Beach, pleaded guilty to 24 charges of trafficking in a controlled drug after police raided the home she shared with another co-accused man, whose identity is suppressed, and Melanie Kate Ferenc, 38.
“On June 2, 2021, police searched an O’Sullivan Beach property and found 21.3g of methamphetamine in a plastic tub in the roof, as well as digital scales, plastic resealable bags, measuring spoons and ice pipes,” Judge Liesl Kudelka said in sentencing.
“The drug had a value of $4500-5000. Undeterred by that, you and (the co-accused) carried on business.”
She said Wilson played a “pivotal role” in the drug dealing business as a bookkeeper and organiser, with roles including weighing and bagging drugs, money collection and delivery.
She sentenced Wilson to four years in prison, reduced to three years, four months and 25 days for her early guilty pleas.
She then suspended the sentence upon Wilson entering a three year good behaviour bond.
Melanie Ferenc
Charged after being busted alongside Wilson, Melanie Ferenc was also spared jail for her role in the meth moving business.
Ferenc, 38, was charged with drug trafficking.
She met Wilson when their daughters were at primary school together and became close friends.
During sentencing, the court heard Ferenc collected methamphetamine for the man from his supplier.
“You were promised methamphetamine in return for your courier role, but you did not end up receiving anything,” Judge Liesl Kudelka said.
“The day after you committed this offence, your life took a much better turn.”
The court heard Ferenc moved out of the share house, got a job and stopped using drugs.
She was sentenced to 17 months in prison, with a non-parole period of 10 months.
That sentence was suspended upon Ferenc entering into a two-year good behaviour bond.
Nigel Fossey
A father who brandished a syringe at a teenage worker during a robbery dobbed himself into police after good Samaritans stopped him in the act.
Nigel Paul Fossey, 45, is behind bars after he told police he had done “something silly” – at the same time as he claimed he had been assaulted by the three men who caught him.
During sentencing, the District Court heard Fossey entered the Paralowie Subway store on January 13 and brandished a syringe at a 15-year-old employee.
Fossey demanded staff open the till, before he came through the counter door and pulled the till out.
The shift manager pursued Fossey on foot after he fled on a pushbike with the till.
After she lost sight of him, the manager spoke to three men in a nearby carpark who offered to go after him.
The court heard Fossey was coming down off heroin at the time of the offending and was greatly remorseful for the “spur of the moment” robbery.
“Your motivation was your need for money to keep your accommodation and provide for your daughter,” Judge Emily Telfer said.
“However, you were also motivated to secure money for drugs.”
Judge Telfer sentenced Fossey to four years and three months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and six months.
Elemer Dobak
A father and grandfather found himself in trouble with the law after he struck and killed a beloved grandmother as she crossed the road.
Judge Liesl Kudelka sentenced 88-year-old Elemer Dobak, who pleaded guilty to causing beloved Joan McCaskill’s death by dangerous driving in August.
During sentencing, Judge Kudelka said Dobak’s actions in driving through a light that had been red for nine seconds was “gross inattention”, but he was medically cleared to drive despite a degenerative eye condition.
“Indeed, two weeks after the offending, you were assessed as medically fit to drive, even though, by that time, your licence had been suspended,” she said.
Judge Kudelka sentenced Dobak to two years and six months, reduced to two years and three months, following the reduction of his guilty plea discount, with a one-year, nine-month non-parole period.
The entire sentence was suspended on him entering into a two-year good behaviour bond due to his age and Judge Kudelka accepted his remorse as the “gravity of the offending clearly weighed on him every day”.
Following Dobak entering in the bond, Judge Kudelka addressed Ms McCaskill’s family in the body of the court, and said she “heard” their pain through their victim impact statements.
“You truly gave me an insight into her life, it is plain to me that there are many people who loved her dearly and I’m very sorry for the way she passed away, I heard your pain,” she said.
Songnan Bao
A father-of-two will remain behind bars for at least a year after he used his knowledge as a software engineer to access thousands of child abuse files online.
Songnan Bao, now 42, will spend up to three years in prison after Judge Carmen Matteo handed down the sentence in the District Court in October.
The court heard Bao possessed 8338 child exploitation material files on a computer and hard drive, comprising 7494 images, 843 videos and one document.
It also heard he had described some of the material as “just peaceful”.
Judge Matteo said the document, found on Bao’s personal computer, was titled “how to practice child love”.
“It is more apt to describe the document as a depraved guide for the sinister manipulation and sexual abuse of children,” she said.
“Whilst there is no suggestion that you in any way groomed or took action towards physically offending against any child, your possession of child exploitation material in this form is deeply troubling.”
Bao, who was born in China, previously told police he accessed the child exploitation material because he was “just curious”, the court heard.
The father was working as an IT engineer when he was arrested and charged in December last year.
Earlier, he spent around three years working for the Department of Human Services and then a local defence firm specialising in open source and artificial intelligence as a software engineer.
Taking into account Bao’s guilty plea and time already spent in custody, Judge Matteo sentenced him to three years with a non-parole period of one year, four months.
Sarah Hayes
Meth dealing single mother Sarah Jane Hayes, 42, was jailed after she “went off the rails” once she was given more freedom on bail.
During sentencing submissions in January, Judge Paul Muscat slammed Hayes for not taking the multiple chances to turn her life around and stay out of jail for her young daughter.
“I’ve given her more opportunities than I’ve given anyone else in the last 11 years to demonstrate a commitment to rehabilitation,” he said.
“And unfortunately she hasn’t taken it up.”
Hayes, of Valley View, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking, arising from incidents in January and March 2019.
The court heard Hayes was found with 14.23g of methamphetamine, valued up to $7100 in January 2019.
After being released on bail Hayes was then caught with 6.52g of methamphetamine, valued up to $3200, in March of the same year.
In February, Judge Paul Muscat sentenced Hayes to three years and three months in jail, with a non-parole period of one year and six months.
“Methamphetamine use traps and then heaps misery on its users and their families and friends, as you would well know,” Judge Muscat said.
Donna Sell
A mother of two discharged a firearm during a brawl to “send a message” to leave her and her partner alone.
Donna Maree Sell, 38, took the law into her own hands believing shooting a gun was the best way to diffuse a feud.
A violent brawl kicked off between two groups at an Elizabeth Vale house on January 21, 2022.
Sell’s partner at the time, Andrew Goulding entered the property yelling “come on, you fat f***,” before using a baseball bat to smash windows of a car in the driveway.
Sell can then be seen on CCTV holding a shotgun which she fired into the garage door.
Sell pleaded guilty to aggravated affray, discharging a firearm intending to damage property and possessing a prescribed firearm, namely a loaded sawn off shotgun.
The court heard Sell was a heavy user of methamphetamine at the time and in a highly emotional state.
Judge Nick Alexandrides said Sell risked the safety of innocent members of the public.
Taking into account Sell was already serving for possessing a firearm, she was sentenced to six years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of three years and three months.
Steven Makins
A father came clean on grooming a 13-year-old girl online over several years who was actually an undercover police officer.
Steven Makins, 34, was due to stand trial in the District Court but in May entered guilty pleas to four counts of communicating with the intention of procuring a child for sexual activity.
The pleas were accepted in satisfaction to the five charges originally laid.
The court heard the offences were committed between September 2019 and June 2022 in the northern suburbs.
Police allege Makins communicated with an undercover police officer posing as a 13 and 14-year-old girl on multiple occasions.
In October, the court heard Makins asked a female, who told him she was 13, to see photos of her breasts.
He also asked a 14-year-old for explicit photographs and encouraged her to masturbate.
He is yet to be sentenced.
Alexis Daniels
A young mum pleaded guilty to drug trafficking after police busted her and another man in possession of ecstasy, 35g of meth and over $30,000 in cash when they were pulled over on the Northern Expressway in 2020.
Alexis Kate Daniels, 26, and her co-accused were sentenced for their “not isolated” roles in drug trafficking after being in the business for “some time”.
In 2023, a pregnant Daniels asked a court not jail her as she was due to give birth to her second child after she started selling meth and fantasy to fuel her own addiction
Daniels also pleaded guilty to separate counts of drug trafficking after police searched her parents’ house, where she was living, on December 24, 2019 and found 1.08kg of GHB, worth up to $1500.
They also located plastic resealable bags, scales and a tick lists
Police then found 3.85g of meth, valued up to $1500, and 192g of fantasy, worth $960, after a further search of the house on June 7, 2020.
During sentencing submissions in May this year, the court heard Daniels had given birth to a child two months prior, as well as having a five-year-old daughter.
She was sentenced to three years imprisonment, but allowed to serve that sentence on home detention to look after her children.
Daniel Hinde
A father and bus driver had the details of his “depraved” offending laid bare in court as his counsel pleaded for a “merciful” non-parole period.
The court heard Daniel Hinde, 36, from Blakeview, made “separate incursions into criminal activity” and committed a number of “depraved” offences online.
Hinde’s phone contained 1474 videos of offending against children he had saved between September 22, 2022, and November 3, 2023, via an online app.
“The age range of the children depicted were between infants and children aged about 15,” prosecution said.
The court heard an online messaging conversation between Hinde and another man included them sharing their sexual fantasies – which Hinde said “disgusted him the most”.
Commonwealth prosecutors said one offence related to online conversations with a 14-year-old girl dated back to 2014 and continued for more than 18 months – past her 16th birthday.
He is yet to be sentenced.
Rocchina Rossi
A mother whose drug-affected, dangerous driving caused the death of her son in a school holiday rollover was told by a judge she would not be going to jail.
In June, the District Court was told prosecutors agree Rocchina Rossi’s prison term could be suspended given the “profound, lifelong grief” of having killed her only biological child.
Judge Joana Fuller told Rossi she would not impose a penalty immediately, adding: “I want you to know you will not be sentenced to jail.”
Rossi, 49, of Glenelg, pleaded guilty to aggravated charges of causing death and harm by dangerous driving.
Her pleas arose from an incident at Pygery, on the Eyre Peninsula, in July 2021 that claimed the life of her son Daimon John Rossi-Andrew, 9, and injured her stepson, 16.
“I believe that you will honour your son’s memory by becoming a better person and making sure this never happens again,” Judge Fuller said.
Judge Fuller imposed a suspended three-year, nine-month and 18-day prison term and a 10-year licence disqualification.
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