Shawn Walker jailed for southeast suburbs crime spree
A career crook with a long history of theft, rape, drug and gun crime has been told “enough is enough” after another spree across Melbourne’s southeast. But he says he hasn’t given up on breaking good.
South East
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A one-legged career crook labelled a “clear and present danger” to the community has been jailed yet again for another southeast suburbs crime spree.
The criminal with a long violence, theft, rape, drug and gun history was given more time behind bars for a series of car thefts, burglaries and a wild police pursuit.
Shawn Edward Walker has spent much of his adult life in prison, including serving more than six years inside after he and a mate plied two 14-year-old girls with drugs and alcohol and raped them.
The limping druggie was also the subject of a strange shooting incident in 2012 when he was found dumped outside an emergency department after suffering near-fatal gunshot wounds.
His leg had to be amputated and since then Walker has struggled to walk, even with the aid of a prosthetic limb.
The 36-year-old, of no-fixed address, had pleaded guilty to another 27 charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court last month.
They included car thefts, reckless conduct, dangerous driving, deceptions, possessing firearms, ammunition and drugs, thefts and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Between April 2019 and February 2020, Walker stole three cars, one of them from a mate in Cranbourne.
The other two from were from Facebook Marketplace after he conned the owners by providing fake bank screenshots.
He committed petrol drive-offs in Rosebud, Skye, Frankston and Langwarrin, burgled a Wantirna garden store and was found with GHB and stolen bank cards in Rosebud.
He led police on pursuits in Frankston and Skye, narrowly missing pedestrians and driving the wrong way up Peninsula Link.
He was driving a stolen Audi coupe when he crashed on a nature strip, legging it on foot but leaving behind a homemade firearm and six ammunition rounds in the car.
Because of his limp he was slow off the mark, and police didn’t take long to catch the rogue runner.
His defence lawyer said her client, who had already done more than nine months on remand, was now on methadone and “hasn’t given up” on leading a crime-free life.
Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said the fact he was shot but continued to possess guns, while high on ice, while driving stolen cars on police pursuits just “added to his criminality”.
“You are a clear and present danger to other members of the community,” Mr Lethbridge said.
“The community’s tolerance and the court’s patience have been exhausted.
“Enough is enough.”
He said there was “a glimmer of hope” corrections and the methadone program may be “the silver bullet” that saved him from spending his remaining years committing more crimes.
“I am sceptical about his prospects of rehabilitation based on his last 20 or so years, they have not been promising at all,” Mr Lethbridge said.
“But if he is to have any prospect at all, he’ll need support and assistance when released.”
Walker was sentenced to a total jail term of 18 months, minus 279 days he has already served on remand, and ordered to do an 18-month drug-based community corrections order when freed.
He was also disqualified from driving for 36 months.
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