Scott Brian Southwell-Millard, 26, given suspended sentence, narrowly avoids jail
Scaffolder and bartender Scott Brian Southwell-Millard sold stolen guitars to Cash Converters when his bank told him he had to start paying off his loans.
Canberra Star
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A scaffolder who was being pestered by his bank to start paying more than $35,000 in debt ransacked a house for a collection of pricey guitars which he later tried to flog off at Cash Converters, a court has heard.
Scott Brian Southwell-Millard, 26, on Tuesday narrowly avoided being locked up after pleading guilty to burglary, theft and obtaining benefit by deception.
Southwell-Millard’s lawyer, Peter Christensen, said his client was “at a pretty low point” when he broke into the house in Gungahlin carrying a crowbar and stole 11 guitars, a stereo and a TV.
“The reality is he was almost inevitably going to be caught because he gave his own name to Cash Converters,” he said.
“My client obviously felt pretty desperate in his financial position.”
Southwell-Millard, has since taken a part time job at Cube nightclub and his agreed with his bank to chip away at his debts paying $85 a week, Mr Christensen said.
Mr Christensen said Southwell-Millard recently had his motorbike stolen from out the front of his house, an experience which made him realise how wrong his own crimes were.
“The fact is, he has realised he has to work for his money,” Mr Christensen said.
Acting Chief Magistrate Glenn Theakston said Southwell-Millard’s daylight burglary of his victim’s home involved “an invasion of personal space”, even though the victim was not at home.
“Most occupants who suffer a burglary do feel their sense of privacy has been compromised,” he said.
He said Southwell-Millard’s crimes were “only just” serious enough that a jail sentence was the only option, but were not so serious he would have to serve time behind bars other than the two days he spent locked up when he was first arrested.
Mr Theakston sentenced Southwell-Millard to a four month and fourteen day sentence, suspended immediately, with a 12 month good behaviour order.