Belmont’s Benjamin Bryant pleads guilty to car theft, drug driving, possession

A Belmont man had ice in his system when he was busted behind the wheel of a stolen car on AFL grand final day, but a court heard there was “no evidence” he stole the car.

Benjamin John Bryant (right) pleaded guilty to six charges including car theft, drug driving and drug possession in Geelong Magistrates Court.

A magistrate has warned a Belmont man busted drug driving a stolen car on AFL grand final day to steer clear of drugs, given his criminal record.

Benjamin John Bryant, 40, fronted Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to six charges, including drug driving, theft of a motor car, drug possession and using incorrect number plates.

Bryant was pulled over by police just before 3.30pm on September 28 after they noticed the white Mercedes he was driving had different registration plates.

A closer inspection revealed the car had a set of altered plates fixed over the top of a second set, and police subsequently confirmed the car had been stolen.

The Mercedes Bryant was driving when he was pulled over had been nicked from the carpark of Leopold Sportsmans Club between September 5 and 6 last year.

At 3.53pm, more police officers arrived and Bryant was arrested and taken to Geelong police station.

A search of the car revealed a clear bag containing 1.3g of a crystal like substance, believed to be ice, in a blue Specsavers glasses case, as well as two vials of anabolic steroids, namely testosterone, in a Nike bum bag behind the centre console, along with prescription and non-prescription medication.

A number of other items were also found in the car, however Bryant was not charged in relation to them, and there was no evidence Bryant actually stole the car.

The theft charge instead related just to the use of the car, the court heard.

Following his arrest Bryant was charged with drug driving after testing positive to ice, the court heard.

He told police he thought “it would be out of my system”.

Bryant was previously jailed for a maximum of four and a half years in 2010 after selling drugs in Geelong nightclubs while working as a bouncer.

Bryant’s lawyer, Simon Northeast, told the court that a “bloke” appeared at Bryant’s home at halftime on grand final day last year.

The man asked Bryant to come with him to pick up a motorbike.

After the pick-up, the man left on the motorbike, Mr Northeast said, leaving Bryant to be caught in the stolen car.

He had only driven it “9km over a very short time”, Mr Northeast said.

Mr Northeast said the owner of all the other property in the car was “certainly well known to the courts” but did not name him.

Mr Northeast said his client had a strong work history in Australia and overseas, including in education and as a bouncer.

Currently, Bryant was working seven days a week in the events industry, Mr Northeast said, and lived with his 94-year-old grandmother.

Magistrate Peter Mellas convicted Bryant and placed him on a community correction order comprising 120 hours of community work, telling him: “If you’ve got other issues, deal with them.”

Someone with his history “shouldn’t be dabbling even at the fringes of drug use”, Mr Mellas told Bryant.

Mr Mellas stressed the work hours were “an alternative to a short term of imprisonment”.

Originally published as Belmont’s Benjamin Bryant pleads guilty to car theft, drug driving, possession