Yusuf Amir: ‘Entitled’ thief jailed after pinching Dusty Martin’s luxury car

Details of how Dustin Martin’s $150,000 Range Rover was stolen in a “lunatic’s” crime spree have been revealed.

AFL superstar Dusty Martin’s car was stolen by Yusuf Amir on January 2. Picture: 9NEWS

A “lunatic” who stole Richmond superstar Dusty Martin’s $150k Range Rover rammed a cop car after he was cornered just five hours later.

Details of how Yusuf Amir stole the forward’s luxury car were revealed in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court as he faced sentence.

The 30-year-old was driving with a friend in St Kilda in January this year when he jumped out of the vehicle after seeing a luxury Range Rover left running outside a Coles Express service station.

He stole Martin’s car, which had been lent to a friend at the time, and took off.

Police were able to spot Amir five hours later and he was arrested after ramming a police car in an effort to get away.

Amir returned before court on Tuesday, where Magistrate Suzanne Cameron branded him a “lunatic”.

Dustin ‘Dusty’ Martin’s car was stolen from a coles express on January 23. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

He applied to be released from prison on an “intensive” drug and alcohol treatment order.

This was rejected by Ms Cameron who said he had a “concerning” pattern of doing the same thing over and over again.

“There's this pattern of jumping into peoples expensive rides … and taking off into the sunset,” she said.

“I’ve got three stolen cars here, a Range Rover, a Volvo and a Mazda … It’s a clear pattern that presents a risk to the community.”

The court was told just weeks before stealing Martin’s car, Amir had pinched a $50,000 Mazda CX9, and, a month earlier, stole a car worth $40,000.

Amir, who pleaded guilty to 30 charges including, theft of a motor vehicle and damaging an emergency vehicle by reckless driving, had argued he was now “more mature”.

The vehicle was recovered in Melbourne’s east. Picture: 7NEWS

But Ms Cameron noted he had been placed on the same order he was now applying for in 2016 for “strikingly similar offending”, and had absconded and continued to commit offences after just nine weeks on the program.

“It’s just entitled isn’t it,” she said.

“You don’t have an entitlement to smooth rides … you're still a young man, you have a whole lot of life to live, you need to decide what you want that to look like.”

Amir, who wore a dark suit as he sat in the dock flanked by two court officers, agreed, saying “yeah, you’re right”.

“I've never had a job in my life that's why I want to get out,” he said.

“I’ve tried my best … there hasn’t been a lot of support and stuff”.

Previously, the court was told the car was reported stolen immediately. Picture: 9NEWS

His lawyer told the court that despite his client “failing badly” in the past, he wanted to change.

“He really is seeking to break the pattern and break the cycle that leads him back into custody.”

The court was told Amir had spent “much” of his adult life in and out of prison and had a lengthy criminal history.

Ms Cameron found other than Amir’s comments he had demonstrated “no signs of being deterred” from his criminal activity, and had been suspected of drug trafficking while on remand.

He was jailed for 15 months and had his licence disqualified for a year.

Originally published as Yusuf Amir: ‘Entitled’ thief jailed after pinching Dusty Martin’s luxury car