Liam Morgan begs to be locked up after impersonating cop during crime spree

A menace who impersonated a cop during a month-long crime rampage across the city has begged to be locked up, saying he will be “unable to comply” with a parole order. But he could still be free by the end of the year.

A drug-addled menace who impersonated a cop during a month-long crime rampage across Melbourne has begged to be locked up. Generic picture: iStock

A drug-addled menace who impersonated a cop during a month-long crime rampage across Melbourne has begged to be locked up.

However, Liam Morgan, 25, could be out of jail in less than eight months despite saying he will be “unable to comply” with a parole order.

Morgan pleaded guilty in the County Court on Tuesday to a “litany” of offences including theft, burglary and dangerous driving while being pursued by police.

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The young hood was only just out of jail when he knocked over a Hawthorn East massage parlour on June 27.

He then robbed stores and stole cars from Melbourne suburbs including South Yarra, Fitzroy, Coolaroo, Heidelberg West, Kew and Romsey.

Morgan, a regular user of ice and heroin, also stole a car from a Craigieburn PETstock which he used to drive through a boom gate at an Abbotsford shopping centre.

He used the car to tail another motorist near the Eastern Freeway in Kew before pulling alongside and telling the driver he was a police officer.

The driver stopped before driving away because Morgan looked “unstable”.

The victim later said he was “terrified by his (Morgan’s) behaviour”.

Police spotted Morgan driving the car on the wrong side of the road in Abbotsford shortly after.

They followed Morgan as he drove erratically along Hoddle St.

Police tried to pull Morgan over but the night-time pursuit was stopped after Morgan drove on the wrong side of the road with no headlights on and through a red light as he sped off towards East Melbourne.

The next day Morgan got into an argument with a bartender at the Albion Hotel in Northcote over a glass of coke before punching and biting a security guard in the stomach, cheek and forearm.

On July 30, Morgan entered a Northcote coin laundry where a witness said he “staggered around opening washers and dryers”.

Morgan said “suggestive things” to a female customer and threatened others with a large hunting knife.

Morgan chased the female customer and another man out to a parked car where he used the knife to try and pry open the window.

Police tracked Morgan to Thornbury but he refused to drop the knife.

Morgan was eventually subdued by a police dog which took a bite out of the iced-up lout.

He was later assessed as having a “significant risk of relapsing into substance abuse and reoffending”.

Morgan said he did not want to do another community correction order or another parole order as he “would be unable to comply”.

Judge Trevor Wraight said Morgan had “little regard” for himself or his victims.

“Your prospects of rehabilitation could only be described as poor,” Mr Wraight said.

“Your offending was bold and opportunistic.

“(Some of your offending) was very serious and disturbing and would have been a frightening experience for the victims involved.”

Judge Wraight took into account Morgan’s guilty plea and his “appropriate remorse” when sentencing him to two years and two months in prison with a minimum of one year and four months.

He had spent 252 days in prison at the time of sentencing, meaning he could be out of jail by the end of year.