Judge gives Lex Peirce a pat on back for sticking to bail conditions at sentencing for car theft

A member of the notorious Pettingill crime family has been praised for keeping his nose clean after he stole a car from two Good Samaritans who stopped to help him after a crash.

Lex Peirce with his grandmother, crime matriarch Kath Pettingill. Picture: Facebook

A judge has given the grandson of crime matriarch Kath Pettingill a pat on the back for staying out of trouble after his Grand Theft Auto-style car theft.

Lex Peirce Jr, 41, appeared at the County Court of Victoria in a black Tommy Hilfiger jumper and a gold chain on Tuesday, where he joked with Judge Duncan Allen that his next court date would have to be moved because he had planned “a weekend away”.

Peirce, from the Pettingill family who inspired the 2010 film Animal Kingdom, is currently on bail after pleading guilty last year to stealing a car from two good Samaritans who had stopped to help after he smashed into a tree near Morwell in November 2020.

His female passenger sustained serious injuries during the crash.

When passers-by pulled over to assist, he jumped into their car and fled the scene, cutting off his court-mandated ankle monitoring bracelet.

Peirce, who pleaded guilty to seven offences including theft of motor vehicle, dangerous driving causing serious injury and breaching parole, comes from a long line of Melbourne crime figures.

Victor George Peirce with Dennis Allen, Trevor Pettingill and Lex Peirce Snr.

His uncles include mass-killer Dennis Allen, jailed drug dealer Peter Allen and gangland murder victim Victor Peirce, who, with another brother, Trevor Pettingill, was acquitted of the Walsh St police murders of 1988.

In court on Tuesday, the thief complained about his beloved car being signed over to a tow truck company to be impounded, asking the judge if he could help.

“How can someone sign it over ... it’s my car,” he said.

Judge Allen, who explained that he did not have the power to assist, congratulated Peirce on keeping to his bail conditions.

“Things are going smoothly,” he said.

The court heard Peirce, who had been struggling to secure NDIS support, had sought help from disability service, Encompass House, for his intellectual disability.

The judge said it would be best to postpone sentencing “because of this delay and difficulty”.

Prosecutor Anne-Marie Stephanides argued Peirce should serve a combination sentence, saying his good behaviour should not “overwhelm” his “objectively serious” offending.

But the judge said the right balance would have to be reached.

“Offending can’t overwhelm anything else either,” he said.

Judge Allen, who sought to avoid Peirce “bumping into people” at Frankston Community Corrections Services, said he would hand down his sentence at a later date, pencilling in July 11 to review Peirce’s Court Integrated Services Program (CISP).

“I’ve got a weekend away that week,” Peirce joked, receiving a laugh from the judge.

“Good luck,” Judge Allen said.

“Keep up the good work… be patient with people.”