Roger Frank: Deadly balcony accident led to drug-fuelled spiral
A court has heard a Cranbourne man’s life descended into an ice-addled, drug-driving haze after his nephew died in a freak incident.
South East
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A drug-addicted dad with a terrible rap sheet has been warned any more driving crimes and he will end up behind bars.
Roger Kim Frank took ice, drove while disqualified and stole from a shop after he started to self-medicate with meth following a tragic incident involving his nephew.
In 2018 the nephew fell from a Clyde North balcony and sustained serious head and body injuries, dying in hospital a month later.
The 47-year-old Cranbourne father of one pleaded guilty to drug and disqualified driving, theft and possessing drugs offences at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The court heard cops pulled over the former brickie in Cranbourne in December 2019 after noticing his car was out of rego.
He had lost his licence earlier that year for another drug-driving offence and had failed to do a court-ordered program.
Frank said he knew he was not licensed to drive, but had “to get something to eat”.
In August last year he was pulled over in Clyde North, still without a valid licence, and tested positive for ice.
And in December he was caught stealing a bottle of Coke from a Prahran supermarket.
When cops arrested him he had a bag of ice hidden in his wallet.
Defence lawyer Michelle Goldberg said the incident with his nephew hit her client hard and his mental health deteriorated.
She said he moved away from his family and his substance abuse became “a nexus” for his offending.
She said the father of a 12-year-old was now in a residential rehabilitation facility and getting help for his drug and mental health issues.
Magistrate Timothy Gattuso said Frank had a very poor driving record with a raft of disqualified and suspended as well as drink and drug-driving priors.
He told him his significant attempt at getting clean was a major factor as to why he was not being jailed this time.
“It has spared you from what may have been a term of imprisonment today,” Mr Gattuso said.
“If you are serious about your rehabilitation you have got to make sure drugs are not a part of your life.
“(As a father) you have got some important decisions to make in the future.”
Frank was placed on a 12-month community corrections order and must do 120 hours of unpaid work.
He was also given a 12-month bond with conditions he do a road trauma awareness seminar and abide by directions of the rehabilitation centre.
He was also convicted and disqualified from driving for another 12 months.
