Joshua Leslie Rudd jailed for fake prescriptions, theft, threatening note

A man with an “atrocious” criminal history 60 pages long has been jailed after he faked medical prescriptions around town and threatened his partner.

A man with a 60-page “atrocious” criminal history has been jailed for a new raft of charges which include faking medical prescriptions, theft, and intimidation.

Joshua Leslie Rudd, 36, appeared via video link at Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to three counts of using a forged prescription, two counts of contravening an AVO, intimidation, larceny, giving police a false name, and driving while disqualified.

The Goulburn resident started his crime spree on September 19 of last year, when he visited Blooms Chemist with a prescription apparently issued by a Marulan doctor. When he successfully collected his sedatives, the court heard he tried to use a similar prescription at Bradfordville Pharmacy on September 23 to try and obtain the powerful opioid fentanyl.

A man doctor shopped at a number of chemists including Bradfordville Pharmacy.

Court documents reveal the pharmacist became suspicious and called the doctor in Marulan, who denied issuing the prescription and said he hadn’t seen Rudd in months. The pharmacist told Rudd she knew the script was false and had referred the matter to the police.

Despite the setback, the court heard Rudd went to a third chemist later that day to try to secure a supply of the sedative Lorazepam. Police facts reveal the pharmacist became suspicious and told him she would have to call Drug and Alcohol Services, but instead called the doctor’s office.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she got an unsolicited call from a woman claiming to be from Drug and Alcohol Services who told her the prescription was Rudd’s usual dosage, according to court documents.

Police facts state the doctor’s signature on the falsified prescriptions was obvious when compared with the genuine article.

On November 4, Rudd and his longtime partner separated and he moved out of their house, according to court documents. The court heard she went to sleep and woke at 7.30am the next day to a threatening message left on the fridge.

“Good luck! Cause after this custody 8 years of (love heart) and family will be set on fire,” he wrote.

Joshua Leslie Rudd appeared in his prison greens at Goulburn Local Court. Picture: James Lane

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie said the threats were very serious.

“You talk about setting the family on fire,” she said.

A month later, the court heard Rudd was busted for breaching the apprehended violence order against him when a child accidentally dobbed him in. Police were conducting an AVO compliance check when they asked Rudd’s ex if he was present.

The court heard she told them he wasn’t, but was caught out by a child who told the cops: “he’s right here in the kitchen” and pointed to Rudd attempting to hide.

Less than a month after the breach, the court heard Rudd was at the Goulburn Workers Club when he spotted a phone someone had left next to the pokies. Rudd picked up the phone and left soon after, according to police facts.

In May 2021, the court heard Rudd was stopped by police for failing to stop for a stop sign and police discovered he was disqualified from driving. When asked to give his name, police say Rudd gave the details of his dead cousin to avoid detection.

When police went to the home of Rudd’s ex, the owner of the car, the facts say they saw him there breaching his AVO and “darting off in the background in an attempt to conceal himself.”

Rudd’s lawyer Rodney Boyd told the court his client’s criminal record is “atrocious”. He said his client had a “clear drug problem” which spurred his illegal behaviour.

“If he’s not using illicit drugs, these offences do not occur,” he said.

Mr Boyd told the court his client had spent two months in residential rehab and is determined to turn his life around.

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie accepted Rudd had shown interest in engaging with rehabilitation and supervision despite his “extremely lengthy” criminal record, which spans 60 pages.

The magistrate sentenced Rudd to five sentences of imprisonment for four months, four months, three months, nine months and eight months. She also imposed a nine-month and two 12-month community corrections orders, all with supervision. In addition, Magistrate Beattie fined Rudd $300 for lying to police and disqualified him from driving until 2028.

“I’m giving you a big chance here, I want to see you implement all these things you want to do,” she said.