Heroin-addicted burglar back behind bars after thieving spree
An unemployed Flemington concreter, who has been addicted to smack for two decades, has gone on a wild crime spree.
South East
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A heroin-hooked thief with a 24-page rap sheet had only been out of jail for two months before he went on another burglary spree.
Shannon Kent had been released from prison on a community corrections order only to relapse into drug use and stealing to feed his smack addiction.
Now the Flemington 34-year-old unemployed concreter is back behind bars again.
He pleaded guilty to burglary, car theft, theft, drugs and bail breach charges at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard at 4am on October 18 this year he broke into a Forest Hill house while the homeowners were away and stole a TV, camera lenses, handbags and jewellery and the keys to a car.
The next morning he went back to the same property and took the vehicle, a 2008 BMW, from the driveway, knocking over a letterbox and bins as he sped off.
He drove around the corner and then tried to break into another home, but was disturbed by a neighbour.
He told the man he was “looking for a ball” and then left in the nicked car.
An hour later he went to a Springvale South house, broke in through a glass door and stole jewellery, a money tin and prescription medication while the owner was out shopping.
By now cops were onto him — thanks to a 000 call from the alert Forest Hill neighbour — and he fled on foot before being found hiding under a bush.
He was arrested and remanded but couldn’t be interviewed due to being badly drug-affected.
His defence lawyer said Kent had long-term substance abuse issues, which started with him using speed and cannabis at the age of 13, before taking up heroin at 15.
He said he had recently been on methadone but when a relationship broke down he fell back in with his criminal peers and the thefts followed.
He said his client had spent a large part of his life addicted to heroin but was hopeful of going to a residential rehab facility when he was released.
Magistrate Daniel Muling said the quick relapse was “disappointing”.
“Tragically drugs have dominated and ruled your life since you were a teenager,” Mr Muling said.
“You were released (from jail) on a CCO four months ago yet reoffended in a less than two-month period.”
Kent was jailed for five months, minus 61 days he has already served, with his drug counselling-based community corrections order to restart upon release.
