JCU law student, Yuri Ivanovich Romanov, 35, sentenced for car theft

A JCU law university student has narrowly escaped time in jail for stealing a car and trying to sell it to a car salesman in Cairns.

Yuri Ivanovich Romanov, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of stealing a vehicle after he took a vehicle that he had promised to purchase but failed to pay for before changing the registration into his name. Photo: Facebook

A JCU law university student has narrowly escaped time in jail for stealing a car and trying to sell it to a car salesman in Cairns.

Yuri Ivanovich Romanov, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of stealing a vehicle after he took a vehicle that he had promised to purchase but failed to pay for before changing the registration into his name.

A further charge of arson was dropped after the car suffered damage as a result of a fire.

Crown prosecutor Matthew Hancock said Romanov had the car for about three weeks and was using it throughout.

“He had lied to the complainant about returning the vehicle which in my submission is a sign of no remorse for his actions and a disregard to the agreement he made in regard to purchasing the vehicle,” he said.

“It was purely selfish behaviour and he made efforts to sell the car, so it is in my submission it was stolen purely for financial gain.”

The court heard that the car was damaged by a fire that started in the vehicle which drew attention from police and fire services and led to Romanov’s arrest.

Defence counsel Kelly Goodwin told the court Romanov was currently working in events planning in Townsville and was in his third year of a law degree.

Cairns courthouse. Photo: Brendan Radke

Mr Goodwin told the court there was no violence or threats of violence and conceded that his client accepted the facts of the case against him and was prepared to pay compensation.

Judge Michael Burnett said Romanov’s criminal history showed an issue with honesty and general integrity.

“The complainant doesn’t speak English and the defendant doesn’t speak Russian so he was very vulnerable and perhaps Mr Romanov took advantage of a sense of trust that he would do the right thing based on a shared heritage,” he said.

Judge Burnett also voiced his scepticism towards Romanov’s chances of practising law seeing as the offending occurred during his studies and consisted of “compounding lies and dishonesty”.

“Within my 45 years it is not my knowledge that people of this particular history pass the good character test.”

Romanov was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment wholly suspended for two years and ordered to pay $5000 compensation.

Originally published as JCU law student, Yuri Ivanovich Romanov, 35, sentenced for car theft