Douglas Gallagher: Racist bashed strangers in Dandenong street
At his last hearing this nasty Narre Warren thug went berserk. This time he yawned as he was sentenced for a violent racist rant.
South East
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A racist sex offender who bashed strangers in a hate-fuelled rage on a busy Dandenong street has been jailed.
Douglas Gallagher will spend the next few months behind bars after calling passers-by “terrorists” and lashing out wildly at anyone and everyone who crossed his path.
When he pleaded guilty last month he went berserk in his prison media room, abusing the magistrate, gesturing obscenities and kicking out at the walls and windows.
When he appeared again at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Monday he was much calmer, yawning occasionally and looking forlornly at the ceiling as he was handed his punishment.
As well as attacking innocent people he also stole a tip jar from a cafe, burgled a bottle shop, nicked booze and breached the sex offender’s register.
The unemployed Narre Warren East 33-year-old has a shocking violence and thieving rap sheet, having spent eight of the past 10 years behind bars.
Gallagher had pleaded guilty to 11 assault, theft, burglary, drug and sex offender’s register breach offences and also admitted breaching a community corrections order imposed for similar crimes.
The court heard at 7pm on September 28 last year he was standing on a footpath in Thomas St, Dandenong yelling racist abuse at people walking by.
One man took umbrage and punched Gallagher to the ground, but he got back up and continued his tirade, telling passers-by they were “terrorists” and to “go back to their own country”.
He then walked over to cars and punched passengers and drivers, hitting one man repeatedly in the face and leaving him with a cut lip.
He left but was later found at a Berwick COVID-19 checkpoint with a bloody face and bruised hands.
In September last year he failed to report to Sex Offender’s Register officers that he was living in a Dandenong motel and had a new phone number.
In January this year he stole bottles of booze from a Cranbourne North BWS and was caught in possession of ice.
In February he burgled a Sunshine liquor store, stealing $1500 worth of grog, and a day later walked into a Docklands cafe and nicked a tip jar, a biscuit and two energy drinks.
He was caught by a passing police patrol and remanded in custody.
His defence lawyer said her client had suffered an acquired brain injury from a serious car accident, had not worked since 2009 and had issues with cannabis and amphetamine abuse.
Magistrate Timothy Gattuso said these crimes happened while on a corrections order for similar offending and only a short while after he had been released from jail.
“Again you’re here for similar (offences) and assault charges,” Mr Gattuso said.
“You have priors for violent offences.
“And you made racially abusive comments at the time.”
Gallagher was jailed for eight months, minus 74 days he has already served on remand.
