Dale Topham: Dromana druggie thieving chef’s new town promise
A chef with a history of thefts across the south eastern suburbs has served up plans to start a new life in a country town.
South East
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A tool-thieving, drug-addicted, ice-driving chef has been given a good behaviour bond after he said he would give up the high life and start afresh in country Victoria.
Dale Topham had burgled a McCrae laundry, crashed while high in Cranbourne South and was found with a plethora of drugs after leaving a known Tootgarook deal house.
When discovered by police with ice, heroin, Xanax and cannabis, he told cops all the illicit substances were for his personal use but “methamphetamine was my current drug of choice”.
He was easily identified because he had been seen by officers the day before face down in the street after taking too much GHB.
The 37-year-old, formerly of Dromana, pleaded guilty at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court to charges including burglary, theft, drug possessions and bail breaches.
The court heard on August 20 last year a police patrol saw Topham staggering around Tootgarook streets, unsteady on his feet and wandering all over the footpath.
As it was near to an address “known to police for drug distribution” officers went to have a chat with him.
He was heavily substance-affected, vague and evasive, and didn’t seem to know where he was.
A search uncovered two bags of ice with a total weight of .26g, 8.73g of cannabis and 10 Xanax-type tablets in a glasses case, and .17g of heroin hidden in his beanie.
Topham had also burgled a McCrae laundromat in December 2017 after noticing a dodgy office door lock, stealing tools including saws and sanders.
And he crashed his car into a tree in Cranbourne South in November 2017 testing positive for ice while in hospital recovering from his injuries.
His defence lawyer said over the years Topham had consistently tried to get sober and had some success in rehab centres.
He said he went to live in Port Macquarie for a while to try and stay away from the local drug scene, but when he came back to the Mornington Peninsula he relapsed.
He said he was now completely clean, has medical support for his addictions and has a new chef job in Wangaratta on which he will focus all his time and energy.
Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said it was apparent Topham had tried to rehabilitate himself many times, and hopefully a clean start may be of great benefit to him and the wider community.
He said it was extremely lucky he didn’t kill himself or anyone else after he crashed while high on ice.
“I accept there has been a lot of good work done by you,” he told Topham.
“You are starting a new job as a chef; you’ll have to have your wits about you to avoid relapsing into drugs in that hothouse environment.
“It is incumbent on you not to return to this court.”
Topham was placed on an 18-month good behaviour bond with conditions he continue drug treatment and pay $1000 to the court fund.
He was also disqualified from driving for the mandatory minimum of three months.
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