Remorseful burglar felt ‘ashamed’ after breaking into Toowoomba unit
A drugged-up burglar had felt “embarrassed and ashamed and disappointed in himself” when he realised the unit he had broken into belonged to a retirement village, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told.
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A DRUG addicted burglar had felt “embarrassed and ashamed and disappointed in himself” when he realised the unit he had broken into belonged to a retirement village, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told.
Lachlan Edward Burton and a co-offender had jumped over a fence and broke into a unit, stealing two laptop computers, on June 16, the court heard.
He was then found in the yard of another unit and trespassing in Honey St, Harristown, a short time later.
His solicitor Amber Acreman, of David Burns Lawyers, told the court her client had been using drugs at the time and had little memory of those events.
However, when he realised it was a retirement village he was “very remorseful”, she said.
“He is thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed and disappointed in himself,” Ms Acreman said of the 22-year-old.
Burton appeared by video link from Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre to plead guilty to burglary and trespassing from those offences as well as to drug-driving on Wellcamp-Westbrook Road while on a provisional licence on May 1, to possessing a knife in Stuart St, Mt Lofty, on June 30, and to having cannabis a range of prescription drugs for which he had no script on July 20.
Ms Acreman said in relation to the prescription drugs her client had been found asleep in the back of his car while his 17-year-old co-offender was asleep in the front.
The drugs had been found in a bag in the centre console but because he owned the vehicle, her client had taken responsibility for the items, she said.
Ms Acreman said her client had a longstanding drug problem having started using illicit substances when he was 14.
He had done 95 days in pre-sentence custody during which time he had done drug counselling courses and when eventually released from prison the 22-year-old intends leaving Toowoomba and starting afresh at the coast where he had work.
Magistrate Kay Ryan sentenced Burton to nine months in jail but, declaring the 95 days as time already served under the sentence, ordered he be released on parole immediately.
Burton was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.