Danny Nguyen has sentence cut for helping police with Australia Post thefts
A man who broke into post offices and stole loads of mail during a drug-fuelled crime spree has had his jail sentence cut almost in half for helping police take down his co-offenders.
East
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A man who went on drug-fuelled crime spree across the southeastern suburbs, breaking into post offices and stealing loads of mail and drones, has had his jail sentence almost halved for helping convict his co-offenders.
Danny Nguyen will now spend a maximum of two years and eight months behind bars for a “concentrated spell of serious criminal offending” he committed in January 2018, for which he pleaded guilty to seven theft charges, six burglary charges, two drug trafficking charges and one for attempted burglary.
The 25-year-old took his initial sentence of four years and six months to The Court of Appeal last month, arguing it was excessive and unfair in comparison to the sentences given to the two men he committed the crimes with.
On November 6, judges David Ashley and Richard Niall ruled in his favour, agreeing Nguyen was “significantly differentiated” from his co-offenders and his sentence should be mitigated for several reasons.
“The applicant must be resentenced,” Judge Ashley said.
The judges said he had provided “significantly valuable assistance” in the prosecution of his co-offenders, Daniel Brittain and his cousin, Andy Nguyen, and therefore deserved “a substantial reduction” in his sentence because of the help it provided and the risk it incurred for him.
They said the sentencing judge had also been satisfied Nguyen had excellent rehabilitation prospects, having stopped using methamphetamines since being arrested, which he formerly used daily.
They attached a non-parole period of 18 months to his reduced sentence.
The court heard on Monday, January 8, 2018, about 3.40am Nguyen and his two co-offenders drove two stolen vehicles to Braeside Australia Post and used hand tools to break in.
They loaded the vehicles with a “large but unknown number” of letters and parcels before hitting Australia Post Business Hub Burwood, where they also stole a “large amount” of letters and parcels.
Four days later, on Friday, January 12, about 3am, the four men broke into Australia Post Business Hub Braeside and “repeated the escapade”, taking more letters and parcels, the court heard.
On Thursday, January 18, about 3am, the group broke into Oakleigh radio-controlled appliance store XM2 at 5am, stealing drones and other products, valued at $158,000.
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They hit Australia Post in Clayton South on Wednesday, January 24 at 4.35am, using a car to ram the shopfront, and took another large quantity of parcels and letters.
They broke into Oakleigh South’s Inventory Placement on January 31, about 4.15am, before attempting to steal a ute and a van.
Police arrested the group at an address in Keysborough later that morning.
A search warrant uncovered several prohibited weapons, including an extendible baton and knuckledusters, and falsified licences and number plates.
In November 2018, Daniel Brittain was sentenced to six years’ jail for the crime spree and 23-year-old Andy Nguyen was jailed for five and a half years.