James Kalajdic: Craigieburn teen throws woman on road in Lalor

A Craigieburn teen threw an old woman onto the road during a carjacking, broke into six homes and stole 12 cars. But even a magistrate has admitted his punishment is “extremely lenient”.

Kalajdic has been released on bail. (Generic photo)

A teen thug threw an elderly woman onto the road during a crime rampage where he broke into six homes, nicked 12 cars and stole more than $35,000 worth of goods.

Yet James Kalajdic was released on a deferral of sentence before Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on November 11 after pleading guilty to a huge number of charges, with the magistrate noting the move could be considered “extremely lenient”.

The 19-year-old had just turned 18 when the rampage began with him targeting patrons at sports centres in Melbourne’s north.

Kalajdicstole car keys and valuables from customers’ bags at several gyms, swimming centres and indoor trampoline parks in suburbs including Reservoir, Craigieburn and Essendon Fields from February to July 2019, before stealing their cars.

He then escalated to forcing his way into homes to steal vehicles in July 2019, when he and three others kicked in a front door and stole the residents’ $50,000 Mercedes and a Mazda.

Kalajdic then broke into a further five homes, stealing more than $35,000 worth of possessions and personal documents.

The court heard he put gloves on before pulling an elderly woman out of her car on May Rd, Lalor, on June 30, 2019.

A co-offender got in the woman’s car’s passenger seat as Kalajdic threw the woman onto the road.

Kalajdic then drove away, leaving the woman lying on the road.

Kalajdic, who has never had a driver’s licence, also pleaded guilty to stealing petrol from across Melbourne on numerous occasions and to driving unlicensed.

The court heard he had also committed an attempted aggravated carjacking and three thefts during the rampage, for which he had been sentenced to 475 days’ jail and a two-year community corrections order before County Court.

The sentence had only expired two weeks before Kalajdic fronted Heidelberg, meaning he had just 14 days pre-sentence detention for the crimes at hand.

But his lawyer, Matthew Mclellan, pushed for the teen to be released from custody on a deferred sentence to move to Port Albert to live with his dad.

Mr Mclellan conceded his client had been “a young man out of control”, but noted he suffered an intellectual disability, drug addictions and had experienced trauma amid a highly chaotic childhood.

The court heard Kaladjic also had outstanding charges for an alleged armed robbery.

Magistrate Stephen Ballek agreed to defer sentence for three months and grant Kalajdic bail to give him a chance to prove he could comply with his corrections order.

Mr Ballek noted “some might think (the decision) is extremely lenient”.

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