Jordan Stainer pleads guilty to theft and destruction of property

A magistrate has sentenced a troubled teen to jail time for stealing cars, including one with a child inside. Find out what happened.

A teenager who stole cars during a crime spree across the Mildura area last year will spend time behind bars.

Jordan Stainer, 19, appeared in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to a number of charges including theft and criminal damage.

The court heard that on Wednesday, July 20 last year Stainer and a co-accused broke into the SuniTAFE car park where they attempted to steal a black BMW.

Jordan Stainer had admitted to a crime spree across Mildura

After taking the car for a spin around the carpark he realised a child, aged 8, was in the back seat and he quickly fled from the area.

A few days later, on July 25, Stainer and a co-accused stole a Honda Jazz from Merbein.

They spent the following days driving around town and attempting to steal tools from a mechanic’s flat-bed ute and also stole another car.

The Honda was then burnt out near a vineyard at Red Cliffs.

The next day the pair broke into another car and stole tools including a laser pointer.

They took a joy ride through a holiday park in the other stolen car, which the court was told endangered pedestrians.

Stainer was arrested at Red Cliffs on August 28.

This week magistrate Michael Coghlan said Stainer’s actions gave the court “not much of an option” other than imprisonment.

“These are offences that warrant consideration of immediate terms of imprisonment,” Mr Coghlan said.

“Unfortunately the court’s not in much of a position to consider any real other options.”

The court heard that after his arrest he was granted CRISP bail so he could address his “drug issues”.

“I can’t consider a community corrections order … because you are in custody now on other matters.”

Mr Stainer was sentenced to a cumulative 135 days in prison for all the charges.