COVID-19 curfew buster nabbed in the city at 2am had been ripped off after buying $1800 of fake ice
A man who had only been out of jail a few weeks was found by police wandering city streets with boltcutters, a knife and a chisel at 2am. But that wasn’t the only bad decision the Dandenong man had made.
South East
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A COVID-19 curfew-busting crook who was duped into buying almost $2000 worth of fake ice has been remanded in custody.
Robert Fitzgerald was also caught with boltcutters, a knife and a chisel when he was nabbed by cops wandering city streets at 2am.
The 31-year-old Dandenong man had only been out of jail a few weeks after serving a six-month stretch.
At Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to attempted drug possession, going equipped to steal, driving and health officer breach charges.
He couldn’t appear by video link because he is in custody isolation quarantine.
The court heard police were patrolling Elizabeth St in Melbourne’s CBD on August 8 when they came across Fitzgerald.
Officers asked him what he was doing out after curfew, and when he gave them his details it was flagged he was wanted on a warrant over the alleged theft of a bicycle.
A subsequent search uncovered five Ziploc bags containing a white crystal substance, weighing 8.5g in total, in his pockets.
He had boltcutters stuffed down his waistband, and was also in possession of a chisel and a multi-tool with a knife attached.
Fitzgerald admitted buying the ‘drugs’, saying he had got them for $1800 and they were for his own use.
Later tests revealed he had not purchased ice and the substance was in fact a worthless chemical fake.
He also admitted driving unlicensed in Preston in October last year, having not held a licence since he was disqualified in 2007.
His defence lawyer told the court Fitzgerald was “candid with police” about his quest to purchase drugs and now knows he was “basically ripped-off”.
She said he was working hard to combat his drug addiction but had relapsed and reoffended on this occasion.
She said he was hoping to be released from custody on a time-served sentence of 11 days to go into a drug rehabilitation centre.
But the court heard the waiting lists for new admissions into detox clinics are at least six months long.
Magistrate Julie O’Donnell said Fitzgerald had an extensive criminal history and another few days in custody while a corrections breach report was compiled won’t make much difference.
“He was going equipped to steal in the wee small hours of the morning, breaching curfew,” Ms O’Donnell said.
“It is being polite to say his compliance with court orders is not very good.
“He was only released (from custody) in June, and here we are back (in court) in August.”
Fitzgerald was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on August 31.
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