Saeed Mirzaie in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court after robbing a fruit shop and a charity box all to fund his drug habit
An unregistered car, a glass crack pipe and the theft of a charity box — the druggie who stopped at nothing to feed his habit.
South East
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A drug-addled man whose “traumatic” experience growing up stooped to new lows, stealing a charity box to fuel his drug addiction after being caught in an unregistered car with a glass crack pipe, a court has heard.
Saeed Mirzaie, 37, fronted Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, May 2 where he said his drug addiction started in order to erase memories of past trauma, claiming he wanted to stop using drugs.
Mirzaie pleaded guilty to a number of offences, including theft of a charity box, driving an unregistered car with false number plates and possessing methylamphetamines.
Mirzaie had already spent time in prison for some of these offences, and is incarcerated for stealing the charity box with a value of $2105, and for drug possession while on bail, both occurring in April.
Police arrested Mirzaie in December 2020, where they found him driving an unregistered car with fake number plates, finding a glass crack pipe and methylamphetamines inside the vehicle.
Mirzaie’s lawyer, Adrienna Kisvarda, provided a brief history of Mirzaie’s life, including the “traumatic” experience he had growing up in Iran before seeking asylum in Australia.
“Being raised in a war torn country, Mr Mirzaie has lost a number of his close relatives as a direct result of fighting,” Ms Kisvarda said.
“Most recently, he lost his father three years ago and his sister four years ago. Mr Mirzaie began using heroin in 2017 to cope with the memory of these traumas.”
Ms Kisvarda told the court Mirzaie had come to Australia by boat, and had been held in detention on Christmas Island and in Adelaide before his asylum status was granted.
“He was on a boat for 18 days with 80 other people. They were intercepted by Border Force,” she said.
“Upon his asylum status being approved, Mr Mirzaie came to Melbourne and began working immediately. He lost his job in February this year due to his drug addiction.”
He had since been homeless, and told the court he had an ongoing addiction to “meth and synthetic weed”.
Mirzaie told the court that he wants to “go back to life. I don’t want to use drugs again. I want to be sober”.
Magistrate John O’Callaghan was empathetic to Mirzaie’s circumstances.
“My problem with you is your drug addiction,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“When you’re released, I’m concerned you won’t have a home to go to, and won’t have anyone helping you.”
“It is impossible to do what you’re trying to do without help.”
Mirzaie was ordered to complete the remaining 15 days of his imprisonment, and when released would be issued with a $500 fine for the breaches of his bail conditions.
gemma.scerri@news.com.au
