Norlane man Jason Dawes robs friend in Corio home over comic book

A Norlane man said a missing comic book led to the frightening robbery of his wheelchair-bound friend.

Norlane man Jason Dawes robbed a wheelchair-bound friend over a missing comic book.

A wheelchair-bound Corio man feared for his life when someone known to him entered his home to look for a comic book.

The 64-year-old victim said his ability to trust friends was “destroyed” when Norlane man Jason Dawes, 50, and an unknown male walked into his home and demanded he hand over “all his money”.

He said the frightening incident made him feel as if Dawes was going to either kill him or seriously injure him, the County Court heard.

Dawes was arrested in January last year and faced the court late last week where he entered a guilty plea to a single charge of robbery.

After being told there was $100 in the bedroom, Dawes rifled through the home and took the cash, alcohol and filled a bag with other items.

While he was turning the house over, the unknown man who entered the home with him stood in front of the victim in the lounge room.

Before they left, Dawes turned to the older man and said the last time he was in the home, “you laughed at me”.

“Look who’s laughing now,” Dawes then said.

Dawes defence lawyer, Tim Sullivan, told the court he thought the victim had been “taking advantage of (him) financially”, particularly because of a comic book Dawes said belonged to him.

Judge Trevor Wraight said Dawes went to the home to find the comic book but stole other items when he could not find it.

Judge Wraight said the victim was vulnerable to Dawes and the unknown man at the time because he was “confined to a wheelchair”.

In a victim-impact statement, the man told the court he opened his home to Dawes in the years before the robbery and this offending had since “destroyed his ability to trust those around him”.

“He was previously a social person who enjoyed going for lunch, catching up with friends and going fishing,” Judge Wraight said.

“Your attack left him isolated and feeling as if he needs to relocate from Geelong, where he has lived for 16 years.”

The court was told Dawes had a disadvantaged upbringing that included an alcoholic father who was unable to care for him.

At the age of 13, Dawes was living in a reception centre where he “adopted an aggressive approach in order to survive” in response to the abuse at the hands of other residents and staff members.

The court heard this meant staff had “responded to (Dawes) emerging aggression with harsh beatings”.

This disadvantage was taken into consideration by Judge Wraight.

Dawes was convicted and sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and an 18 month community corrections order upon his release.

Originally published as Norlane man Jason Dawes robs friend in Corio home over comic book