Damien Graham, 33, jailed at Bendigo County Court for burglary, theft crime spree

A former dairy farm manager’s descent into meth and heroin addiction saw him take part in a four month crime spree across central Victoria.

Damien Graham and his accomplices used sledgehammersto break into multiple businesses in Bendigo.

A former dairy farm manager’s descent into meth and heroin addiction saw him take part in a four-month crime spree burglarising servos and car washes in stolen cars.

Father of five Damien Graham, 33, was convicted and sentenced at Bendigo County Court to three years’ and eight months’ jail for a string of thefts and burglaries.

Graham and a number of associates who remain before the court went on a crime spree across Bendigo and the Goulburn Valley, terrorising businesses between November 2022 and March 2023.

Graham was busted after a four month crime tear across Bendigo and the Goulburn Valley.

Graham and an associate bought a stolen black sedan bearing false rego plates for $500 which they drove to a California Gully petrol station about 4.45am on November 13 before smashing the front glass door and stealing 100 packets of cigarettes worth about $10,000.

About 3.30am on the 16th, wearing face masks, hoods and gloves, Graham and his associate smashed in a window of the Maryborough Golf Club, kicking in the manager’s office door and making off with about $200 in cash.

Graham and a co-offender then drove the stolen sedan to Harro’s Car & Dog Wash in Ironbark, Bendigo and used a crowbar and sledgehammer to break in and steal $3500 worth of coins.

Graham broke into and stole from multiple businesses.

A neighbour was woken by the sound of the business’ alarm and saw Graham and two co-offenders running in and out of the building ferrying stolen goods into the stolen sedan.

The witness approached the group and tried to take the keys out of the stolen car before he was chased off by Graham and his associates who fled the scene with the cash they broke out of the coin machine.

On December 27, Graham got his hands on a blue Mitsubishi Lancer worth about $20,000 stolen from Kangaroo Flat.

About 12.35am on the 28th he drove the Lancer to a car wash in Mooroopna and attempted to break into a coin machine with two co-offenders, all wearing hooded clothing and gloves, but were unsuccessful.

Graham and co-offenders used “disguises” and stolen cars in their crime spree, the court heard.

The group then drove to a BP service station in Mooroopna and smashed their way through a window and staff door and stole $2100 in cash.

On January 25, 2023 Graham and an unknown accomplice stole a Toyota HiLux from Rochester and sold it for $250.

On February 23, Graham’s crime spree turned violent when he drove to the Echuca home of Daniel Rayner, a man he was in a feud with for a number of years.

He drove to Mr Rayner’s house on Boothman’s St and reversed a white Holden VS ute into his rival’s car.

Mr Rayner and Graham then got into a fight with melee weapons before the burglar got back into his car and reversed into Mr Rayner’s car a second time before driving away with Mr Rayner giving chase in own car.

Graham did a U-turn and rammed his car into Mr Rayner’s driver’s side door before fleeing the scene.

Police found Graham asleep in the white Holden VS ute on March 8 parked on McSwayne Rd in Echuca.

Damien Graham and his accomplices used sledgehammersto break into multiple businesses in Bendigo.

Police seized 42 grams of meth, jewelry, assorted power tools and $2150 in cash suspected to be proceeds of crime, along with an extendible baton, taser and flick knife.

Judge Mark Gamble said Graham had an “extensive” criminal history, being convicted of more than 240 similar offences including a “staggering” 47 burglaries, 73 thefts and 11 thefts of cars.

The court heard Graham had a “sad and dysfunctional” childhood of abuse and neglect, exposed to crime and substance abuse from a young age.

He started drinking aged eight and was drinking a bottle of Jim Beam a day by 16.

His life then became ravaged by drug addiction, getting on ice at 23 and losing his job as a dairy farm manager before getting onto heroin.

Graham’s crime spree was fuelled by meth.

The father of five also was devastated by the loss of a child in 2014.

Judge Gamble found Graham was remorseful and shameful for his actions, pleading guilty at an early opportunity.

Judge Gamble said Graham’s offending was explained by his “very serious drug addiction” fuelled by his childhood trauma as opposed to a lack of a “moral compass”.

Judge Gamble said Graham was “motivated” to rehabilitate himself and found decent prospects for rehabilitation, if the burglar could stay off drugs.

However, Judge Gamble said the offending was serious, premeditated and showed a “selfish” and “callous” disregard for the impact his thefts and burglaries had on business owners.

Graham was given a two year and eight month non-parole period, with 382 days reckoned already served in pre-sentence custody.