Everything you missed in Geelong courts during July
Missed out on Geelong’s court news? Here is a wrap of people who have recently appeared in court.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Missed out on Geelong’s court news? Here is a wrap of people who have recently appeared in court.
Man sentenced over violent drunken attack
A drunk Geelong man accused another man of rape before beating him badly that he lost control of his bowels.
Corio man Neithan Newton, 23, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to assault.
In January this year, Newton was drinking at the victim’s house when he called the older man a rapist during an argument.
The agitated victim told Newton and the rest of the party to leave, causing Newton to become aggressive with the man before trying to “challenge” him.
The victim slapped Newton who reacted by punching him. The court heard the assault caused the victim to soil himself.
Newton pushed the victim toward the door, causing the man to fall down the front steps and hit his head on the lawn.
Newton followed the man and kicked him while he lay on the ground.
‘Agitated’ Norlane woman attacked doctor
A Norlane woman who assaulted her doctor has alleged in court that he attacked her first.
Danielle Garrity, 31, faced the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful assault and one count of contravening a community corrections order.
In August 2019, Garrity attended a medical clinic in Norlane and was accused of becoming “agitated” and aggressive when her doctor told her he was not able to help with a treatment request.
Garrity grabbed his glasses off his head and threw them on the floor. The doctor told police he felt threatened at the time.
Defence lawyer Stephanie Mawby said Garrity had told police the doctor had assaulted her first by “pushing her into the sink within the clinic”, causing her “significant pains to her ribs”.
“I understand no formal complaint has been made but Garrity made it clear to police … about her desire to make a complaint about the extent of the assault against her,” Ms Mawby said.
Movie buff caught with prop Blade Runner gun
A St Leonards movie buff who rushed to his neighbour’s aid with a replica Blade Runner gun has faced court.
Dean Boult, 52, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday to plead guilty to possessing an imitation firearm.
In 2021 Boult and his partner heard his neighbours in a domestic dispute and ran outside the St Leonards house.
At the time, Boult was in possession of an imitation firearm that the neighbours later told police had left them “scared for their life”.
Defence lawyer Aleisha McCarron said the gun was a replica from the 1982 movie ‘Blade Runner’ and was purchased from online store Wish.
She added he is a “collector of artefacts from movies”.
Boult, a passionate member of the Infidel Brotherhood according to his social media, started a verbal argument with his male neighbour that quickly turned into a physical fight in the front yard.
Paramedics were called after Boult suffered minor injuries and police were alerted to the scuffle. Boult was not charged with assault.
Man blames magistrate for court appearance
A Belmont man repeatedly caught behind the wheel of a car on a slew of driving offences has avoided a jail sentence.
Joel Julian, 31, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to 13 offences, including driving while unlicensed, driving under the influence and possessing a controlled weapon.
In July last year, officers pulled Julian over in Corio and discovered he was unlicensed after a disqualification for drunk driving.
Police ordered Julian undertake an oral fluid test and found traces of methylamphetamine and cannabis in his system.
When asked why he was driving, Julian told officers the “judge won’t give it f**king back to me” and said “if he did, I wouldn’t have this problem”. He did not respond to questions about the drugs.
Defence lawyer Megan Campbell told the court Julian thought he had lost his licence for 10 years and had never reapplied.
Magistrate Franz Holzer told Julian that was not the case and said he should not have a “defeatist attitude towards your situation”.
Woman assaulted officers over hoodie
A young Geelong woman who “very quickly” entered the criminal justice system has avoided another jail sentence.
Briana Dougherty, 22, of no fixed address, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to six charges, including theft, assault and threat to inflict serious injury.
In March this year, Dougherty was drunk when she had a fight with a friend and hit him with the empty scotch bottle.
Police found her in the corner of his bedroom, arrested her and took her to the police station where she was placed in the cells.
Dougherty was verbally “abusive and threatening” to police and custody officers and became physically abusive when they insisted she remove her hoodie so they could carry out a search.
The court heard Dougherty told them to “get f**ked you f**king s**t c**t” and yelled that she would not take it off.
As custody staff attempted to hold her down so they could remove the hoodie, Dougherty swung her arms around. A custody officer’s finger was bent backwards during the altercation.
In May 2022, Dougherty was in a verbal argument with her father when she told him to “shut up or I’ll stab you in the throat”.
Woman caught out with guns accused of lying
A magistrate has accused a Geelong woman of lying about the guns and drugs that were in her possession.
Melanie Weil, 39, who is currently homeless but was living in Grovedale at the time, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to possessing firearms and drugs.
In September 2019, Weil was the “conduit” in a firearm transaction between two men after she agreed to set up the sale and transport the shotgun and longarm between Point Lonsdale and Grovedale.
The court heard Weil exchanged text messages with the seller about knowing a man who could buy the two guns for $1000.
Weil claimed the buyer was a “bit funny” and wanted to see the guns at her house rather than the seller’s but thought he would “probably buy them”.
Weil, who knew neither man had a Victorian firearm licence, and used two long bags to drive the guns to her house for the buyer.
In November, a police search of a Point Lonsdale home uncovered one of the firearms among two shotguns, a longarm, miscellaneous ammunition and drugs of dependence, including GHB.
The second gun was not found.
In February 2021, police pulled over Weil in a car that had been spray painted black. The rear window had been covered with paint and was so thick that “no light could pass through”.
Men torch Geelong drug dealer’s home
Don’t miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Follow
Two Geelong men have been jailed for burning down a drug dealer’s house after they thought they were “ripped off”, a court has heard.
Norlane man Sean Phipps, 32, and Raymond Nunn, 25, of no listed address, were sentenced in the County Court on Tuesday after they each entered a plea of guilty to one count of arson.
In May 2020, Nunn went to a Geelong commission house and gave a man who was living there $300 for drugs. The drug dealer left the house to buy the drugs and told Nunn he would be back.
When the man did not return, Nunn “came to the belief he had been ripped off”. While he was waiting, Phipps and two women arrived.
Nunn set a mattress on fire in the bedroom and two more were started in a bin and in the bath. It is unclear who set the two fires.
In an interview with police in March this year, Nunn told them he tried to put the fire out by pouring Coca Cola on it and stepping on it but he was not “100 per cent sure whether it went out or not”.
Nunn then carved “you owe me” into the lounge room wall.
The total damage caused came to $132,939.
‘Wasting your life’: Leopold teen terror sentenced
A Leopold teenager has been told he is wasting his life after facing court for dangerous driving charges.
Delroy Francois, 18, served 68 days on remand before appearing for sentencing via video link at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court.
Earlier this month, Francois pleaded guilty to 17 charges, including dangerous driving and breaching his bail conditions.
Magistrate Anne McGarvie said she hoped time served in an adult prison would be enough to deter Francois from further offending.
“In the Children’s Court, we take into consideration that you’re a child and there is leniency given to children but you’re in the Magistrates’ Court,” she said.
The court heard Francois, who was a student at the time, was caught driving at 130km/h in a 60km/h zone in April while his associate smoked methamphetamine and recorded him.
On the same day, he reached 200km/h in a 100km/h zone while he was filmed pointing to the speedometer.
Francois was sentenced to time served and was ordered to complete a 12-month community corrections order.
Elderly woman left to die in horrific conditions
A Geelong aged care volunteer has been sentenced for failing to provide adequate care and medicine to her elderly mother.
Katarina Sluga pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the County Court of Victoria to one count of negligence causing serious injury.
In October 2018, police attended a Geelong address for a welfare check after neighbours reported a smell of decay.
They found the house in a dilapidated state with rubbish bags and faeces on the floor. Appliances, such as the toilet and washing machine, were broken and officers counted about 30 cats.
Sluga’s mother, Lidia Sluga, was found underweight and suffering from pressure sores. Had she continued to go without medical intervention, the court heard Sluga’s mother would have died.
Sluga told police this was because of her mother’s wishes to die in her own home but Judge Davis said this mean she “lost insight” into what her caring responsibilities should have included.
Sluga was placed on a community corrections order for 18 months.
Corio woman allegedly stole from vulnerable man
A merciless Corio woman who has spent time in and out of prison for stealing from elderly Geelong residents is back in court.
Charmaine Elston, 35, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court via video link and was refused bail on burglary and trespass charges.
At the end of last month, Ms Elston, who is yet to enter a plea, got into a taxi with two men and drove to various addresses in Corio and Norlane before stopping in a carpark outside a set of Norlane units.
Ms Elston has been accused of walking to the home of the alleged victim and knocking on his door. According to police, the 65-year-old man thought it was his carer and told her to “come in”.
After being told to “f**king leave”, Ms Elston allegedly stole his wallet containing cash and bank cards.
The elderly man said he attempted to stop her by grabbing hold of her ankles but Ms Elston dragged him along the carpet, causing some injuries. She took off back to the taxi and the men.
Ms Elston is due back in court on August 18.
‘Bully’: Man stabbed ex-girlfriend’s stepdad
A Breakwater man who was branded a “bully” by a County Court judge has been sentenced to more than six years in prison.
Andrew Abbott, 30, faced the County Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to violently assaulting his former partner, sending threatening text messages and repeatedly stabbing her stepfather.
Before the initial assault on July 27, 2021, Abbot had been in a relationship with the woman for nine years.
He grabbed her by the throat and started to squeeze it as she attempted to leave the property before he punched her in the right eye.
Later Abbott arrived unannounced at the family home of his former partner, her mother and stepfather.
He was armed with a foldable knife which he used to stab the woman’s stepfather three times.
Abbott was sentenced to six years and four months in prison, with a non parole period of three years and eight months.
Tears as Geelong murder trial verdict revealed
The jury in the trial of a Whittington man accused of killing his youngest brother with a shotgun has found him not guilty of murder.
The loved ones of Haig Arslanian, 40, wept in the courtroom as the jury told the court they found him not guilty of the murder charge.
However, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the manslaughter charge.
This will mean Haig Arslanian will return to court at a later date to be tried for manslaughter. He will remain remanded.
Haig Arslanian was accused, but found not guilty, of murdering his brother David Arslanian at a Boundary Road home in October 2018.
On the day of the shooting, it was alleged Haig Arslanian took a shotgun from his father’s room and hid it under his bed.
When an argument with David Arslanian escalated, Haig Arslanian went to retrieve it and returned to shoot his brother twice.
Crook’s ‘outrageous’ acts in pursuit through CBD
A Corio man with a wrench smashed through the window of a pizza delivery driver’s car and forced her out.
Paul Duggan, 25, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the County Court of Victoria on charges of aggravated carjacking with a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle and dangerous driving while being pursued.
In January 2019, a woman delivering pizzas across Norlane saw Duggan sitting in a car that had been stolen days earlier.
When the woman tried to drive away, Duggan and a co-accused man followed her and drove out in front of her, forcing her to a stop.
Duggan got out with a tool, described as a shifter or a wrench, and walked towards the “terrified” woman.
He smashed the window, causing glass to fall onto the victim, and reached into her car to unlock the door.
Duggan then grabbed the woman by the shoulder and forced her out.
He was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and a community corrections order.
Whether it’s a Geelong doctor sentenced for the sexual assault of one of his patients or the Colac car found stashed with drugs and money, it has been an interesting week in Geelong’s courts.
Geelong sex pest doctor sentenced over sexual assaults
A Geelong doctor has been jailed for four months after he was previously found guilty of sexually assaulting a female patient.
Joseph Chirawu, 66, was found guilty in June of one count of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault for incidents that occurred in August 2012 and May 2021 at the Geelong City Medical Clinic.
The victim told the court Chirawu had taken advantage of her when she was vulnerable after she had trouble conceiving and was experiencing a marriage breakdown.
“How do I even begin to process the impacts on my life when the most trusted professional in my life … was a predator,” the woman said in a victim impact statement.
Magistrate Franz Holzer said Chirawu’s offending “constitutes both a considerable fall from grace and a gross breach of trust”.
“Your reputation and dignity have been destroyed,” he told Chirawu.
Chirawu was taken into custody after the sentencing hearing. He will be placed on the sex offenders register.
Geelong woman filmed herself ‘creeping’ in Clifton Springs home
A Lara woman who filmed herself taking part in a home invasion and car theft has faced court.
Courtney Kruik, 24, fronted the Geelong County Court on Wednesday via video link over a string of thefts in December 2021.
She pleaded guilty to home invasion and multiple counts of theft.
In the early hours of December 2017, Kruik and a co-accused entered a Clifton Springs home through the laundry door while the owners and children were asleep.
The pair went upstairs and rifled through belongings before taking the keys to a Subaru Forester, later driving it to a bottle shop.
After her arrest, police found footage on Kruik’s phone showing her and the co-accused rifling through belongings at the Clifton Springs home.
The plea hearing will continue on September 4.
Car in Corio found stashed with drugs and money
Three Geelong residents will face court after allegedly being found with “significant” amounts of drugs and money.
Newcomb man Adam Bonney and co-accused Amanda Hoe, of no listed address, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to contest drug possession charges.
Mr Bonney has flagged that he will enter a plea for possessing the methamphetamine that was found on him at the time of the offending.
A third co-accused man, Michael Hardy, who is the registered owner of the car, is also contesting the drug possession charges and will return with Mr Bonney and Ms Hoe in September.
Police have alleged the trio were in a vehicle intercepted by police that held a “significant” amount of drugs.
Officers have also alleged Ms Hoe was drug-affected when speaking with police, which they said is “significant” evidence she knew of the alleged drugs in the car.
The matter will return to the court on September 20.
Brother’s assault never reported to police, defence says
The defence lawyer for the Whittington man accused of murdering his brother has asked the jury to find him not guilty.
On one of the last days of the trial, Haig Arslanian’s defence lawyer used his closing submissions to urge the jury to consider that David Arslanian was shot by his client during a family violence incident.
Defence lawyer Jarrod Williams hinged the self-defence argument on a pattern of behaviour that the youngest brother-of-four had displayed towards his family, but particularly Mr Arslanian, prior to the day he was shot in the Boundary Rd home in October 2018.
“How is it that this quiet, sensitive, gentle man (and) a man who so values family, killed his own brother? A brother who he loved.
“The answer to that question will be clear: Haig Arslanian killed David Arslanian, a person who he clearly cared very deeply for, because he was terrified of him. He shot him because, in that moment, he genuinely believed he had no other alternative,” Mr Williams said.
Mr Arslanian’s parents were questioned on why they never called police to make a report about the assault.
Mr Williams said this was because of a “shame” that would come from bringing police into the family and Armenian culture.
Geelong grandfather busted trafficking in cannabis
A Geelong grandfather could be jailed for trafficking in cannabis, a court has heard.
Vincent Ficarra, 59, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to trafficking a drug of dependence and two counts of assault.
The court heard police suspected Ficarra was trafficking drugs in 2020 and started watching his Geelong West home.
Officers reported seeing people visiting the house on 66 different occasions.
A few months later, in November 2020, police raided the home and found three grams of cannabis, deal bags, digital scales and $2437 in cash.
Magistrate Franc Holzer said a “jail sentence would not be out of the question”.
However, Mr Holzer deferred the sentencing, giving Ficarra until December to show the court that he will not further offend.
Ocean Grove woman launches assault on man, his mother
An Ocean Grove woman assaulted her partner before driving to his mother’s house and punching her in the face.
Sharna Lea Miller appeared at the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to two charges of assault and possessing a drug of dependence.
The court heard Miller got out of her car and confronted a man. She then grabbed him around the throat and punched him in the stomach.
The man’s mother drove nearby streets to try and find her son, but returned home when she could not.
As she sat in the car, the mother saw Miller walking down the driveway before stopping by the car window and punched her.
Magistrate Peter Mellas said the crime was “nothing sophisticated” and placed Miller on an adjourned undertaking without conviction.
Geelong mum takes fall for sons’ burnouts
A Geelong woman, 60, who attempted to take the fall for her son’s driving offences has faced court on perjury charges.
Lynda Brideau was convicted and fined $800 in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to perjury following an attempt to nominate herself as the driver of the car caught doing burnouts.
The court heard in April 2021, her son was behind the wheel of a car driving westbound on the Princes Highway that executed a fast U-turn and lost traction on the road, causing it to slide briefly.
In May 2021, police went to the home address of the registered owner, being Brideau’s other son, and found the vehicle outside.
A few days later, the woman took the vehicle into the police station for inspection and told officers she had been driving it at the time.
Officers later reviewed road safety camera footage and found a side profile of the driver in one of the mirrors. They confirmed it was Brideau’s son by his tattoos.
Magistrate Franz Holzer said it was “very short-sided, very misguided behaviour”.
Why Geelong dad swiped at ex-wife’s date
An Armstrong Creek father of two assaulted a man who was on a Tinder date with his ex-wife, a court has heard.
Byron Kelly appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to the unlawful assault of the Tinder date in March this year.
The court heard the victim attended Kelly’s ex-wife’s home in Armstrong Creek on March 13 and was having drinks, when Kelly was called over to drop off a toy that his young child had lost.
The ex-wife told the victim to leave the address for 15 minutes because she was “concerned” about Kelly seeing him in the house.
The victim was standing in the street near the property when Kelly approached him shortly afterwards and attempted to push him back towards the house, telling him he “just (wants) to talk to you”.
The victim resisted, telling Kelly that he did not want to have the confrontation in the house with the young children around, only to have Kelly yell at him that “they’re my f**king kids”.
Covert op exposes alleged Geelong meth dealer
A Newcomb woman has faced court on drug trafficking charges after a 12-month undercover police operation.
Bernadette Ball has appeared at Geelong Magistrates Court via video link from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre to face allegations that she trafficked methamphetamine and cannabis.
Magistrate Peter Mellas refused an application for bail and Ms Ball has been remanded to appear before the court in August where it is expected she will contest the charges.
Following the year-long investigation, that included the mother of four allegedly making drug sales of $12,000 directly to undercover operatives, the accused drug trafficker was arrested in early March this year alongside a co-accused man.
As part of the investigation, police seized 332.7g of cannabis, 90g of methamphetamine and an undisclosed amount of money.
In opposing her bail application, Detective Senior Constable Darcy Spence told the court Ms Ball may continue to offend because of her own addiction to methamphetamine and because she allegedly uses the sales from drug trafficking to fuel this habit.
Man beat ex-partner in front of her children
A Geelong man who beat a woman in front of her screaming children will spend the next year behind bars.
Daniel McDonald, 28, appeared via video link at the Geelong Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to assault and using a carriage service to harass.
On March 15, 2022, McDonald and the victim were having a discussion about their relationship at the woman’s address when McDonald reached for her phone and attempted to go through it.
The woman took her phone back and walked away, but McDonald followed her, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the ground.
McDonald then climbed on top of her, sat on her chest and used his knees to pin her down while he went through her phone.
The court heard he grabbed her by the neck and strangled her until she blacked out.
When the victim came to, she said McDonald slapped her to the right side of the face and grabbed a bread knife.
With the victim still on the ground, McDonald said he was “going to hurt you, you deserve it” and held the knife to her throat.
McDonald called a man known to the victim and asked if they were still together.
Woman swindled 40k from Centrelink
A Geelong woman has avoided a lengthy jail term for obtaining more than $40,000 from Centrelink by lying about her income.
Rachelle Carter appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to falsely declaring her income to dishonestly obtain financial advantage in the amount of $40,311.28.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions submitted that between May 2017 and January 2021, the mother-of-nine made 95 false declarations to secure the disability support pension.
On those 95 occasions, the prosecutor told the court that Carter lodged her income as $13,914.85 when it was actually $108.450.27.
The court heard that Centrelink employees called Carter on at least six occasions to confirm that she knew how to appropriately lodge her income, reporting back to the Commonwealth that Carter was adamant she knew how to do it herself and did not need help.
Underworld figure caught with firearm
A Geelong underworld figure will spend at least the next four months behind bars after being caught with a firearm.
Karl “Bang Bang” Holt, 36, appeared at the Geelong Magistrates Court via video link from the Metropolitan Remand Centre and pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and a drug of dependence.
On 20 April 2022, police arrived at a bungalow Holt was known to be residing in and observed that it was heavily secured and was being monitored by several CCTV cameras around the property.
Officers gained access via an open window and observed Holt in the bathroom, where they served him with a search warrant.
A search of the bungalow located two grams of methamphetamine, a round of 40 calibre ammunition and a firearm cleaning kit.
Police noticed that the bathroom window was ajar and a search of the neighbouring property found a semi-automatic hand gun.
Police also located $1610 in cash, a machete, a cash counter machine, drug paraphernalia, a vial of adrenaline and deal bags
Lara man jailed for firearm, drug offences
A Lara man found slumped over the wheel of his car was found with a firearm, machete and drugs of dependence, a court was told.
Wade Rees, 28, has pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court to possessing the two weapons and the drugs of dependence, as well as theft and attempt to obtain property by deception.
On May 14, 2022, a witness observed as a Mazda station wagon failed to move after the traffic lights had turned green and drove alongside the car to find Rees slumped over the wheel.
Ambulance and police arrived on the scene and a quick search of the vehicle revealed a machete within reaching distance of Rees. He was handcuffed to protect paramedics from any harm.
Officers located a black holster attached to his belt and opened it to find a small, silver pistol. The firearm, which was removed by officers immediately at the scene, was loaded with a live round.
Methamphetamine and cannabis was also located in the car.
Originally published as Everything you missed in Geelong courts during July
Geelong restaurant named state’s best in three-peat victory
For the third year in a row, a well-known Greek restaurant has been awarded a statewide honour.
New take on old household item helps dementia patients remember
A new device created by a team of Geelong and Sydney researchers to help dementia patients remember daily tasks is in the running for an international award.