‘Sorry bruv’: Burglar’s message to teen boy in Melbourne west break-in

A drunk and high neighbour climbed through the window of a teenage boy’s room in Melbourne’s west, delivering a message before leaving.

A drunk and high neighbour climbed through the window of a teenage boy’s room in Melbourne’s west while he was home alone, a court has heard.

The offender, who was under the age of 18 at the time, fronted a suburban court in Melbourne this week after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary and recklessly causing injury.

Prosecutors told the court he was “heavily intoxicated” when he climbed through the window of a Wyndham Vale home and began opening doors in the house on September 26, 2019.

He came across a bedroom where the boy was home alone, telling him “sorry bruv” before leaving the way he came in.

The court heard he had no memory of the offending but was “ashamed” of himself and was concerned about the impact he’d had on the 15-year-old boy.

The teen, now 20, had also been involved in bashing a young man who was working on a car with his uncle in July 2020.

He attended the Hoppers Crossing property with two other males, threatening the man with a golf club and pushing him to the ground causing chest lacerations.

In court, the presiding magistrate Kimberley Swadesir said the case had “troubled her” and the impact on his victims would have been “profound”.

“You’re a young man, you’ve struggled with drugs,” she said.

“All drugs have a horrible impact on people. People don’t realise how bad cannabis can be, it can lead to paranoia or schizophrenia.”

She took into account his lack of subsequent offending and good prior character, sentencing him to an 18 month community corrections order with counselling and 100 hours of community work.

“I say these things to scare you, you’re a young man who doesn’t belong in this courtroom,” she warned.