Brayden Wayne Gates sentenced to jail after crime spree
A teen carjacker who led police on a dangerous chase to Fountain Gate while on bail has been jailed. The thug failed to convince the judge to spare him prison, claiming he was traumatised after being on a monkey bike that hit and killed a young mum.
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A teen thug has been jailed after failing to convince a judge he was traumatised by being on a monkey bike that killed a young mum.
Brayden Wayne Gates, 19, was sentenced to four months for a terrifying crime spree that began with an early morning carjacking and ended with a dangerous police pursuit on suburban streets — all while on bail.
Magistrate Peter Reardon found the hoon’s claims he should not be locked up as he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from when he was the pillion passenger on the bike that ploughed into Andrea Lehane “somewhat problematic”.
“I find that a bit difficult to accept,” Mr Reardon said.
The Sunday Herald Sun revealed in June the wayward youth was on the mini motorbike, ridden by Caleb Jakobsson, when it hit Ms Lehane as she walked along a pedestrian crossing at Carrum Downs shopping centre in September 2015.
He was never charged over the hit-run.
But when facing Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, and the real prospect of serving time behind bars, he desperately tried to use the tragedy as a get-out-of-jail-free card.
“He was a passenger on a motorbike where a pedestrian was killed. It would be horrific for anyone to deal with,” his lawyer, Veronika Drago, told the court.
Convicted carjackers are required to be jailed under tough new laws, unless exceptional circumstances can be proven.
In this case, Mr Reardon said they had not.
The experienced magistrate agreed with the prosecution that jail was the appropriate punishment.
“These offences are serious. He was on bail at the time … and was well and truly aware he had to face the Dandenong court the following week,” Mr Reardon said.
He said a CCO assessment report detailed concerns about Gates’ “flippant attitude” and limited insight into his offending and marked him as a high risk of reoffending.
“This case has been going on for some time. One wonders if he’s ever going to get insight,” Mr Reardon said.
Gates was arrested at Westfield Fountain Gate shopping centre on November 29 last year following a police pursuit through Melbourne’s outer southeast suburbs.
Just after 6am that morning he and two co-accused assaulted a man and demanded the keys to his Ford XR6 utility in the carpark at the Lynbrook Hotel, near Cranbourne.
The victim called police, who two hours later found the stolen vehicle parked in Gates’ driveway.
As the police Air Wing hovered overhead, Gates soon after jumped in the driver’s seat and took off, driving erratically through Hampton Park.
He was observed running a red light, driving on the wrong side of the road for 190 metres, overtaking vehicles, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision, weaving through traffic, and mounting a traffic island when met with a dead end.
At 9.10am, Gates eventually stopped the car in the middle of the road at Fountain Gate in Narre Warren and ran inside the shopping centre to hide.
Officers quickly caught up with him and handcuffed him.
A search of his home found a loot of stolen items including jewellery, watches, golf clubs and a laptop and tablet.
When interviewed, Gates denied the carjacking, saying he was at home on the phone to his girlfriend until he fell asleep.
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He claimed he got the car from a mate called “Danny”.
But he admitted being pursued by police and being on bail at the time.
On December 7, he was sentenced at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court to six months youth detention for dishonesty and dangerous driving offences.
Mr Reardon said Gates was not suitable to serve his latest sentence in youth detention, because the last time he was there he was involved in an assault.
He convicted him and ordered he pay a $500 fine over the assault, to which he pleaded guilty.
Gates also pleaded guilty to carjacking, dangerous driving, committing an indictable offence while on bail, driving while disqualified and dealing with proceeds of crime.
On his release from prison, Gates must take part in a 12-month Community Correction Order, including unpaid work and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.