Roxburgh Park’s Marten Meschu fronts Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court over car thefts
A drug-addicted Roxburgh Park thief who once stole a car with a sleeping baby in the back seat has faced court for pinching more vehicles in Melbourne’s north in the wake of the horror incident two years ago.
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A drug-addicted car thief who once stole a car with an eight-week-old baby in the back seat has been hauled to court over three more car thefts.
Marten Meschu, 29, of Roxburgh Park, pleaded guilty at Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on June 16 to the thefts, drug possession and driving while disqualified.
He also pleaded guilty to violently resisting police during his arrest in Glenroy in January.
Court documents describe how Meschu stole three cars from Brunswick, Meadow Heights and Melbourne Airport between November last year and April.
One car was later found written off in Roxburgh Park after it had crashed into a tree, according to the documents.
Senior Constable Brad Proud told the court Meschu’s latest offending came on top of a long history of similar transgressions against the law.
These included the theft of a car with a sleeping two-month-old baby in the back seat in South Morang less than two years ago, which was reported by media at the time.
Meschu was later jailed for a minimum of six months for the offence.
He was also charged following a car accident in 2009 which killed a heavily pregnant woman’s 37-week-old unborn baby.
Meschu’s lawyer told the court yesterday his client’s drug addiction and negative peer group drove him to offend.
But Magistrate Timothy Hoare said it was time Meschu got “off the drugs” and got a job.
“Your offending it’s clear is linked to drug abuse by you which has been of some longstanding duration,” Mr Hoare said.
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“It’s clear it’s getting to the time where if you don’t get off the drugs and get yourself a job … you will unfortunately be sentenced to longer and longer terms of imprisonment.”
Mr Hoare sentenced Meschu to a year behind bars with a six month non-parole period.
He declared 111 days’ presentence detention time served and cancelled Meschu’s licence for six months.