Revealed: The worst of the worst from Mildura Magistrates’ Court 2024
From sex pests to meth monsters, Mildura has seen them all in 2024. Check out some of the worst of the worst to appear before Mildura Magistrates’ Court.
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From multiple sex pests using Snapchat to groom underage girls to a thug’s brutal attack on three men that left his victims feeling so unsafe they have fled the town, here are some of the worst offenders to front Mildura Magistrates’ Court in 2024
METH MONSTER IN BRUTAL ATTACK ON WOMAN
Mildura thug Jordan Newson-Marukic’s violent, meth-fuelled attacks left deep scars on his victim who is still hau8nted by his actions
Newson-Marukic pleaded guilty to several charges including stalking, unlawful assault and assault with a weapon.
In one of the violent incidents, Newson-Marukic drove off at 60km/h while the victim clung to his car, leaving her with permanent scars.
In another incident, he punched her in the face twice, resulting in severe bruising and a black eye.
A Victim Impact Statement read to the court outlined how the offending had left the victim with constant nightmares, crippling anxiety, and suicidal thoughts when she was at her lowest.
Newson-Marukic was sentenced to 12 months behind bars, with a six-month non-parole period. He will be eligible for parole in late February 2025.
MILDURA GRUB GROOMS 13-YEAR — OLD GIRL
Paul Pickering sent graphic images of his penis to a 13-year-old girl via Snapchat, along with sexually explicit messages over a period of time in 2022.
Pickering, pleaded guilty to charges including grooming a child under the age of 16 for sexual conduct and attempting to commit an indictable offence, namely involving a child in the production of child abuse material.
Pickering sent explicit messages, including one of his erect penis, to the victim via Snapchat and persistently tried to coerce the victim into sending nude images of herself.
Magistrate Patrick Southey called Pickering’s offending, “calculated, persistent, and predatory,” before adding that it was, “a massive fall from grace,” for the 52-year-old.
He was sentenced to six months behind bars, and will need to complete a two-year community corrections order upon his release.
DISGRACED MILDURA SCUMBAG IN CAMPAIGN OF HARASSMENT
Ty Ransome, 40, pleaded guilty at Mildura Magistrates’ Court to several charges including stalking, common law assault, making threats to kill and criminal damage.
The court heard on one occasion, Ransome threatened to drown his victim. “I’ll rip you out of that f — king chair and drown you in that pool.”
During another incident, Ransome punched his victim in the jaw as he snatched her phone away.
Ransome called his victim more than 180 times in a 24-hour period on more than one occasion, and regularly harassed his victim by phone call, text message and email.
Ransome made false statements about his victim to his large social media following.
Magistrate Rose Falla sentenced Ransome to prison.
“The only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment. The totality of the offending is such that its impact will be felt by all for years to come,” Ms Fella said
“This was not an isolated incident and instead was perpetrated over a period of months.”
Ransome was sentenced to 14 months behind bars with a non-parole period of six months.
With five days reckoned as pre-sentence detention, Ransome will be eligible for parole in early April 2025.
SNAPCHAT PERVE PREYED ON UNDERAGE CO-WORKERS
Dion Smith used Snapchat to prey on young girls he worked with sending numerous nude images and sexually explicit videos to several underage teen girls.
The 23-year-old sent his suggestive and explicit messages and images almost exclusively via the Snapchat app.
Many were still images of the then-Bunnings worker’s erect penis while others were more sexually graphic, including two videos of him using sex toys on himself.
Smith sent these images and videos to the underage girls, including one who was aged 15 at the time of the offending, over a four-year period starting in 2018 and continuing through to 2022.
In one of the Snapchat messages, Smith told one of his victims, “refer to me as big daddy”.
In another message he asked a 15-year-old victim, “Is it weird I want to take your virginity?”
Smith was sentenced to a total of eight months behind bars and given an 18-month community corrections order upon his release.
He was put on the sex offenders register for a total of 15 years. Smith appealed the length of his eight month sentence.
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TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
Karina Straga told a former friend’s partner she would make the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre look like a picnic,” during a string of drunken threats made via text.
Straga pleaded guilty to more than 34 charges at Mildura Magistrates’ Court, including making threats to kill, using a carriage service to harass and several driving offences.
Straga went on a tirade as she sent a stream of messages to her former friend’s partner telling him he needed, “the s--t kicked out of him” and that she “can’t wait to curb stomp you and watch your teeth fly everywhere.”
She also sent links to videos and memes she knew were likely to intimidate, including a video of a noose and a man hanging from it.
When questioned by police, Straga downplayed the threats. “I just had a bad day yesterday and wanted to chat with my mate,” she told officers.
Straga, who suffers from multiple sclerosis along with other health issues, was sentenced to 14 days in prison and a 12 months community corrections order.
TROY THE THIEF
A Mildura mechanic with a long criminal history was involved in an astounding 11 burglaries over a 12-month period.
Troy Strange pleaded guilty to charges including burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and firearms charges.
Strange was commended by the magistrate for his full and frank admissions regarding his offending and urged him to kick his drug habit.
“I don’t want this life anymore. I am pushing for rehab. I wanna be there for my kids. I wanna be there for my mum,” Strange told the court.
Supported by his girlfriend and mother at Mildura Magistrates Court, Strange was sentenced to 16 months behind bars with an eight month non parole period.
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