County Court: Jarryd Thurston had ‘not slept in three days’ before rampage
Police arrived at a house in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs to find a drugged-up man screaming and armed with a meat clever in one hand and a knife in the other, petrifying the occupants.
Outer East
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A Ferntree Gully man was on bail when he smashed his way into a house, armed with a metal trowel and intending to hurt the owner, the County Court has heard.
When police arrived they found Jarryd Thurston screaming and armed with a meat clever and a knife having received calls from “petrified” occupants, the court heard at his sentencing.
The 29-year-old was jailed for 30 months in jail, with a non-parole period of 18 months, after he pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with an offensive weapon and intentionally destroying property.
The court heard Thurston turned up to the victim’s house — who was friends with Thurston’s then girlfriend — about 11.30pm on March 13 and kicked the front door when the victim refused to let him in.
An hour later, he returned and kicked in a glass door at the side of the house, while holding a metal trowel.
Judge Peter Lauritsen said Thurston intended to hurt the victim, who was inside with two others.
Once inside, he ran to the kitchen and smashed dishes on the ground.
A woman inside the house locked herself in a bedroom, before she fled the house, like the victim and the other man had just done.
“She was petrified, fearing for her life,” Judge Lauritsen said.
The court heard Thurston later told police and psychiatrists he had not slept for three days prior to the incident, and was drunk and high on Valium and ice.
At his sentencing on December 3, Judge Lauritsen said he accepted Thurston’s moral capability was, however, reduced because he was in a psychotic state at the time.
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The court heard he also was on bail for theft and possessing a controlled weapon, and had been in court more than 10 times in the past decade.
Thurston had previously been jailed several times, including for stabbing someone when he was under the influence of Xanax and aggravated burglary.
Judge Lauritsen said Thurston needed to address his drug addiction and noted his prospect of rehabilitation were uncertain.
Having been in police custody since he was arrested, Judge Lauritsen noted 264 days of the Thurston’s sentence had already been served.