Sudanese refugee fronts court over misconduct while in detention
A detainee released from indefinite immigration detention stole luggage from Melbourne Airport shortly after being allowed out in the community.
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A man released from indefinite immigration detention after the government’s indefinite detention policy was ruled illegal stole a suitcase from Melbourne Airport not long after being released.
Abdelmoez Mohamed Elawad, 45, pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal damage and another of theft when he fronted the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday flanked by an Arabic interpreter.
The Australian Federal Police withdrew a charge of breaching his visa condition.
Elawad was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond on the criminal damage charges and a further three months good behaviour bond with conviction on the theft charge.
He was taken into immigration detention in August 2019 after serving time in prison and was released in November last year following a landmark High Court judgment that ruled indefinite immigration detention was illegal.
Elawad was the fourth person to have been arrested and charged with a crime after his release.
While in an immigration detention facility, Elawad caused nearly $4000 worth of damage to a refrigerator, toaster, microwave and a computer because he didn’t want to move to another area of the facility.
He also kicked a wall in a multifaith prayer room.
After Elawad was kicked out of the Fawkner Executive Suites and Apartments following his release from immigration detention, he was billeted at the Ibis Budget Melbourne Airport in December last year.
Just after 3am on December 1 last year, he walked to the airport’s Qantas arrival area and stole a suitcase belonging to a sleeping traveller.
Police recovered the stolen suitcase, together with other items, from a central Melbourne hotel Elawad was staying in the same day.
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia shortly after coming to Australia as a refugee from Sudan in 2006 and his visa was cancelled in 2018.
Magistrate Stella Stuthridge said Elawad was chronically mentally ill who has had extensive periods of involuntary treatment.
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