NSW bushfires: Jordan Thomas Crampton, 20, jailed for looting Batlow homes
A man has faced court after looting homes and leading emergency services away from fighting the devastating January bushfires, while he was high on ice.
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A man is now behind bars for stealing from numerous evacuated homes before crashing a car into a tree — all while he was high on the drug ice — during the bushfires in January.
Tumut’s Jordan Thomas Crampton, 20, appeared via video link in Young Local Court today after pleading guilty to nine charges, including breaking and entering to steal, entering a building to commit an indictable offence, stealing a car and driving in a dangerous manner.
He also pleaded guilty to dealing with property proceeds of crime, possessing ammunition without a permit, possessing a glass pipe to administer the drug ice, driving while never licensed and self-administering a prohibited drug.
Court documents state Crampton, who has never held a driver’s licence, stole a White Ford Falcon from a property on Old Tumbarumba Road, Batlow, on January 2.
He drove past ambulances and fire crews “at speed” before going past a police car.
Shortly after police turned on their sirens and followed him, Crampton crashed heavily into a tree.
Members of the public had to use their own water and fire retardant, which were reserved for defending homes during the bushfires, to stop the leaking fluid from the crashed car.
Police searched the car and among the stolen items, they found jewellery, bullets, cans of alcohol, matches, a watch and mobile phone cases.
Crampton told police he stole the jewellery from three houses between Tumut and Tumbarumba and that he committed property crime to help fund his drug habit.
Police documents tendered to the court stated Crampton’s actions “are nothing short of unethical with no moral compass or compassion for others”.
The court today heard that Crampton was already serving community-based sentences imposed on him one month before he committed the latest offences.
In sentencing Crampton, magistrate Michael O’Brien said: “He’s fortunate to be here at all”.
“The last thing emergency services needed at the time these events occurred was someone like you running amok,” Mr O’Brien said.
“You’re being held to account. Part of that process is that you’ve lost your freedom. It’s the ultimate sanction that the court can impose … because of the seriousness of your offence.”
He also said the sentence goes towards deterring Crampton from committing similar offences in the future.
“It also needs to send a general message to like-minded persons who are thinking about doing something similar as to what may await them,” he said.
Mr O’Brien said while he took into account Crampton’s upbringing and childhood issues, he said he cannot let them “override the seriousness of your offending”.
Earlier during the hearing, defence solicitor Jane Meredith conceded her client’s offending was “shocking and disturbing”.
“It was at a difficult time when the public and emergency services were under a great deal of stress,” Ms Meredith said.
“By his actions, he could’ve killed people who were defending their homes and he could’ve killed himself.”
Ms Meredith asked for leniency based on the sentencing assessment report about her client’s upbringing, including his lack of education, depression and ADHD.
She also said he was exposed to domestic violence between his parents when he was a child.
“The aggravating circumstances are partially mitigated by special circumstances in relation to his childhood, his youth and mental health, which hasn’t been dealt with by doctors,” she said.
“He’s genuinely remorseful and ashamed now that his head is clear.”
Police prosecutor Kieron Drever chose not to be heard during the sentencing.
The court also heard Crampton wrote apology letters to the Batlow community.
When magistrate Michael O’Brien asked Crampton if he had anything to say about those letters, he said he would “love to help them in any way to rebuild their town”.
“It makes me deeply sick for what I did,” he said.
Mr O’Brien said there were findings of special circumstances for Crampton and he would need supervision if he were released to parole.
He ordered that the stolen items be returned to their owners.
The jail sentence imposed on Crampton today was also for the charges of unlawfully obtained goods and possessing a housebreaking implement.
Just after midnight on September 28 last year, police found Crampton in Tumut with a stolen battery drill and charger, as well as a chrome multi-tool.
He initially pleaded not guilty to those charges before changing his pleas.
With a non-parole period of six months for both sets of offences and having been in custody since January 3, Crampton will be eligible for early release in July this year.