Joseph Blyth: Mildura Indigenous artist commits home invasion

A successful Indigenous artist raided a Mildura hostel and stole passports and electronics while the owners — who worked as fruit pickers — slept.

Joseph Blyth from F

An Indigenous artist was working with a fellow con when he raided a Mildura hostel and stole the residents’ possessions while they slept.

Joseph Blyth, 33, fronted the County Court on Tuesday, January 19, pleading guilty to one charge of home invasion and one charge of theft.

The Mildura man and a friend he’d made in prison went through an unlocked door at 126 Riverside Ave, Mildura on July 6, 2019.

The court heard hostel was home to seasonal workers, where multiple people were sleeping.

Blyth and his co-offender walked through the building before they stole a backpack containing passports, an Apple watch and clothing and alcohol.

Their crimes weren’t discovered until the victims woke and noticed the items gone, and CCTV footage was found to show the pair in the act.

Blyth was arrested 10 days later and spent 192 days in custody before he was released on bail during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Blyth committed the offences while on a community corrections order.

The court heard the unemployed man, who is supported by NDIS, had long struggled with substance abuse and had an IQ of 64.

It was heard that while he did not live with his birth parents, he was closely in touch with his Indigenous heritage.

Lawyer David De Witt was “quite a remarkable artist” whose first painting was sold by The Torch, an organisation which supports Indigenous artists who have offended, while he was in custody.

Mr De Witt said Blyth was planning to produce more works for the organisation to exhibit.

Judge Irene Lawson noted the prosecution accepted Blyth’s offences were on the lower end of the scale.

Blyth will be sentenced on January 29.