Knife-wielding thug Gregory Duiker jailed over St Kilda crime spree
A knife-wielding thug was high on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol when he embarked on a 20-minute reign of terror in St Kilda, breaking into several homes and telling one victim “I stabbed your dog”.
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A knife-wielding junkie who terrified three women during a 20-minute crime spree in St Kilda — including telling one he’d stabbed her dog — was high on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol at the time, a court has heard.
During Gregory Duiker’s short reign of terror on June 4, 2018, the 41-year-old armed himself with a 25cm-long serrated knife and rang the doorbell of a St Kilda home about 7pm before pushing past the terrified victim, knocking her to the ground.
The terrified woman ran from the house and flagged down a car, screaming “there’s a man in my house”.
As Duiker was fleeing he told the distraught woman “I stabbed your dog”. He made off with about $5500 worth of items, including the woman’s laptop, phone and credit cards.
Duiker, 41, then knocked on the door of a nearby apartment but when she saw the knife, the female occupant slammed the door and Duiker walked through the unlocked door of a neighbour’s apartment.
Once inside, he waved the knife around telling the owner and her guest to “shut the f*** up and sit down”.
When confronted by a tradie who happened to be working there at the time, Duiker apologised and pleaded to be allowed to go quietly.
The tradesman followed Duiker down a laneway and saw him running towards Carlisle St.
When stopped by police in a nearby alley, Duiker told them he was only in the area “to roll a crackhead”.
But as he was protesting his innocence over the earlier incidents, the knife slid out from his sleeve and the items taken from the first victim’s home were also found on him, along with a small amount of methylamphetamine.
Duiker, who had been sleeping rough at the time following a relationship breakdown, later told police he didn’t remember anything that had happened after about lunchtime that day.
Judge Fiona Todd commended the bravery of all three women as they were “terrified in their homes”.
“Their fortitude not only in the moment but in their later recovery is acknowledged,” she said.
In a victim impact statement, the first victim said she had felt “complete terror” and feared for her life during the ordeal.
Judge Todd said Duiker’s offended has been “chaotic, unplanned and completely desperate”.
“Your criminal history is not generally marked by violence but has been done to support your drug addiction.
“Your history is blighted by a lack of access to safe and permanent housing and I not that eight days after these offences took place you received a letter from DHHS offering you (housing) — you had been waiting for that letter for 10 years.”
While in custody, Duiker has completed several courses, including RMIT’s Inside Out prisoner exchange program, for which he received a High Distinction.
“You are a person of capacity. You come from a good family and when you’re not addled by drugs and the crises that follows in their wake, you know how to work hard and apply yourself,” Judge Todd said.
Duiker was sentenced to three years’ jail and must serve at least 22 months before being eligible for parole.
With time already served he could be free in about six months.
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