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Harrison Marschall Bourne, Jacquelyn Ker, Jeremy Gino Daraxoglou, face Heidelberg court

A Wollert man may “love this country” but that’s no excuse for his outrageous act a local pizza shop.

What happens when you are charged with a crime?

Speeding drivers, meth and marijuana users, and a man with a vendetta against his local pizza shop faced Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court this week.

Read on for the latest list of guilty pleas for offences committed in northern suburbs including Campbellfield, Panton Hill, Yarrambat, and Epping.

Esat Saliu

Esat Saliu fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court.
Esat Saliu fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court.

The aspiring engineer told the court he damaged the front of his local Domino’s Pizza shop because he “loves this country”.

The court heard Saliu kicked the glass entrance door of Domino’s Epping about 5pm on September 19, 2021, leaving a significant crack in the facade and the business with a $770 repair bill.

He told police at the time he was upset with the business operator because they’d failed to clean up rubbish including pizza boxes from out the front of the shop.

Noting his “very bad” criminal history, including jail time, the magistrate this week advised Saliu to seek legal advice before entering a plea.

He rejected this advice and went ahead self-represented, pleading guilty to wilful damage and telling her honour: “If you’re gonna fine me, fine me; if you’re gonna send me to jail, send me to jail.”

Saliu argued what he did was “just common sense” after the business operator repeatedly ignored his requests to clean up the rubbish.

“I love this country, yeah?” he said.

“If you’re gonna litter, you might as well go back wherever you come from, you know what I’m saying?

“I busted him [the business operator] three or four times — it just kept on occurring; I just got sick of it.

“It’s just common sense, Miss — if you’re gonna run a business, clean your mess up.”

The magistrate expressed concern about Saliu’s apparent lack of remorse, and likelihood of lashing out again.

She told him “You don’t sound like you’re sorry”, and asked him if he had a mental health diagnosis or drug problem.

He responded he was “pretty stable” and “didn’t need” psychological help such as anger management courses he’d been offered in jail.

“I used to use drugs, I used to drink — but not anymore,” he said.

“I just keep away from people, to tell you the truth.”

The magistrate adjourned Saliu’s sentence and ordered he be assessed for a community corrections order to give him an opportunity to “do a bit of work on [his] attitude”.

After being deemed suitable, Saliu was sentenced to a 12-month order with the condition that he undertake “whatever assessments or treatments they set”in conjunction with up to 50 hours of community service, and regular drug tests.

He was also ordered to pay the pizza shop compensation, and warned that any breaches of his order could result in resentencing and up to six months’ jail.

“You did not express remorse but you did assure me that despite your bad history, you are trying to keep on the straight and narrow,” the magistrate said.

“If you are treated and off the drugs, that protects the community and I don't need to put you in jail,” her honour said.

Saliu consented to the order but insisted he was “not on drugs”.

Harrison Marschall Bourne

Harrison Marschall Bourne fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court.
Harrison Marschall Bourne fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court.

he transport company staffer could not explain why he was hooning on a motorbike at Panton Hill and St Andrews in May 2021, only telling the court it was “out of character” behaviour.

The court heard police busted Bourne speeding and overtaking on double lines while illegally carrying a passenger on Kangaroo Ground-St Andrews Rd and Heidelberg-Kinglake Rd about 11am on May 22.

The bike was non-learner approved that did not comply with vehicle standards.

Bourne pleaded guilty to five charges and told the court: “I don’t have any excuses”.

He said losing his licence would impact his job at his family’s business in the transport industry.

The magistrate acknowledged that Bourne wanted to keep working and for his “dad not to be exhausted”.

Her honour wondered aloud “whatever happened” to make the first-time offender “do all these things in one go”.

“You could’ve even been charged with more offences in that scenario,” her honour said.

“You’re looking at a matter where you could have over $10,000 in fines.”

Bourne was ordered to pay a $1500 fine, and undertake a defensive driving program as part of a 12-month good behaviour bond.

His licence was disqualified for the mandatory minimum three months.

No convictions were recorded.

Jacquelyn Ker

Police found marijuana plants in a cabin Ms Ker lived in out the back of her grandmother’s property. File photo
Police found marijuana plants in a cabin Ms Ker lived in out the back of her grandmother’s property. File photo

Walking with the aid of a stick, Ms Ker attended court with her father — the same man who dobbed her in to police for her homegrown marijuana crop.

The court heard Mill Park police found six marijuana plants in Ms Ker’s bedroom after her dad tipped them off about a “hydroponic set up” at her address during a welfare check in January 2021.

Ms Ker pleaded guilty to cultivating a drug of dependence.

Her lawyer told the court the plants had been cultivated in an attempt to produce THC oil to treat worsening symptoms of multiple sclerosis including pain and declining motor skills.

“She’s sick and getting sicker,” the lawyer said, asking the magistrate to “take compassion” in sentencing.

“It’s widely accepted within the medical community now that THC or marijuana can be helpful to people with Multiple Sclerosis,” he said.

The magistrate agreed to dismiss the charge after the lawyer produced a letter from the Austin Hospital as evidence of Ms Ker’s medical condition.

But her honour stressed marijuana use was “not a trivial matter” and the sentence was a “one-off”.

“I’m sympathetic, and I want to give you a chance to put the matter behind you but you need to obviously get legitimate medicine,” the magistrate said.

“It [marijuana] is not the mild drug that some would have us believe — people end up often with very bad psychosis.”

The drugs and instruments were forfeited and no convictions were recorded.

Jeremy Gino Daraxoglou

Jeremy Gino Daraxoglou faced Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court.
Jeremy Gino Daraxoglou faced Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court.

he mechanic claimed a toxic relationship was part of the reason he exceeded the speed limit by more than 70km/h at Yarrambat in February 2021.

The court heard police clocked Daraxoglou doing 132km/h in a 60km/h zone on Ironbark Rd about 10pm on February 6.

He told officers there was no reason for his speeding, stating at the time: “I just got a bit happy, I guess”.

Pleading guilty as charged in court this week, he explained he had been nervous when talking to police and had that night actually been “in quite a rush to pick up [his] girlfriend from a bar”.

He said he had since ended the relationship because he realised it was “quite toxic” in the way the woman “asked [him] to do things” and “always go out of [his] way”.

“I just made a really rash decision that night to try and get to her quickly,” he said.

He had been struggling with depression at the time of the offence but had since completed a course of treatment.

He was “really embarrassed and sorry” about the incident.

The magistrate acknowledged Daraxoglou’s lack of prior convictions, references including a letter from his boss, his need for a licence to drive his mother to a cancer centre in the city, and rehabilitation efforts he had made including attending counselling and a safe driving course.

But her honour said the speed and circumstances of the offending were “pretty serious” and there was no way around the mandatory minimum 12-month licence suspension.

Along with the suspension, Daraxoglou was put on a 12-month good behaviour bond with conditions including that he continue attending counselling.

No convictions were recorded.

Brendan James Terry and Simon Blakeway

Simon Blakeway failed to get his licence back after admitting he still smoked marijuana with mates. File photo
Simon Blakeway failed to get his licence back after admitting he still smoked marijuana with mates. File photo

The convicted drug-drivers were unsuccessful in separate bids to get their driver‘s licences back after each telling the magistrate they still used illicit drugs.

The court heard Blakeway – an apprentice carpenter from Heidelberg – lost his licence in 2019 after being convicted of driving with marijuana in his system.

Terry – a disability pensioner from Lower Templestowe – lost his licence in 2019 for driving with meth in his system.

Taking the stand under oath, Blakeway told the magistrate he had “basically quit” marijuana, but would occasionally “have a joint with mates”.

Terry told the magistrate he still used meth “probably once a month”.

“I used to use a lot more than what I do now,” Terry said, explaining a family member’s death had made him “pull [his] head in”.

The magistrate noted both Terry and Blakeway had committed further driving offences since being sentenced in 2019.

Her honour refused each man’s application and told them to return to court with proof they were “not a risk to society”.

Brendan James Terry admitted to using meth monthly. File photo
Brendan James Terry admitted to using meth monthly. File photo

Indu Singh

The senior childcare educator blamed distraction for a blip on her otherwise perfect driving record.

The court heard cameras caught Singh’s car running a red light at the intersection of Sydney Rd and Barry Rd in Campbellfield about 4.30pm on April 18, 2021, while she was travelling south.

She pleaded guilty as charged but asked the court to “consider it a lapse”.

She said at the time of the offence she was distracted by a car making a U-turn in front of her, and that it was her only offence in 35 years of holding a licence.

Acknowledging Singh’s lack of prior convictions, the magistrate imposed a $100 fine and a $87.20 court costs order.

No convictions were recorded.

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/harrison-marschall-bourne-jacquelyn-ker-jeremy-gino-daraxoglou-face-heidelberg-court/news-story/25e3197103d659c20bb04c0ea30d0adf