Mildura Magistrates’ Court: Joseph Theofelis pleads guilty to stealing car, wilful damage and more

A Mildura man who got booted out of his father’s house begged his victim to let him stay at their home before he stole and crashed their car.

Joseph Theofelis pleaded guilty in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court, after breaching an intervention order, stealing and damaging a car, and intentionally damaging the front door of his victim’s home.

A Mildura man who begged to stay at his victim’s home before stealing and crashing their car has been jailed.

Joseph Theofelis pleaded guilty in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court on November 1 to numerous charges of wilful damage, stealing a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified and breaching an intervention order.

The court heard Theofelis was kicked out of his dad’s home in Mildura on October 7, before he contacted the victim, asking if he could stay at their house.

Theofelis pleaded with the victim, saying he “had nowhere else to go”.

On October 8, Theofelis asked the victim if he could borrow their car.

The victim refused, knowing he was disqualified and further refused to give him the car keys.

Theofelis followed the victim around the house, demanding they give him the keys, yelling “I need the f---ing keys”.

Theofelis appeared in Mildura Court on November 1 via video link from Fulham Prison.

The argument ended when Theofelis snatched the keys out of the victim’s hands, before taking the car and disappearing for two days.

When he returned, the car had significant damage to the front panel on the passenger side.

The court heard on October 12, he returned again to the victim’s home to get a phone charger and when he attempted to get inside the house, his key broke in the lock.

He then tried to get inside using a bicycle handle, significantly damaging the door in the process.

Theofelis appeared from custody at Fulham Prison on Wednesday, already on remand for another matter.

Magistrate Patrick Southey noted Theofelis had “been in a lot of trouble this year”.

Mr Southey said he would be focusing on specific deterrence in his sentence.

Theofelis was sentenced to 30 days behind bars with 20 days already served.

His license was also cancelled for a further six months, on top of the 14 month disqualification he’d received before this offending.