Magistrate expresses doubts over escapee Braydon William Stanley’s wish to reform

A man who escaped police custody claims he is trying to turn his life around, but a magistrate has told him “ your desire to change is not reflected in your actions”.

Braydon William Stanley, who escaped police custody in Burnie.

A MAN who escaped police custody before being arrested at the Spirit of Tasmania terminal will now spend two years behind bars.

Braydon William Stanley, 26, last week pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including one count of escape, three counts of stealing, two counts of motor vehicle stealing, one of evade police, one of negligent driving, as well as breaches of bail and family violence orders.

Magistrate Leanne Topfer said Stanley, who first went to jail as a teenager, had handwritten a letter to the court prior to his sentencing.

In that letter, Stanley said he had been “full of hate” in his younger years but was turning his life around, moving away from people he knew and getting a job for the first time in his life.

“But you continued to offend. Your desire to change is not reflected in your actions,” Magistrate Topfer told Stanley via video link from Risdon Prison.

“You have no insight into your offending and you are unlikely to be rehabilitated in prison until you realise the consequences of your violent, anti-social behaviour.”

She said a custodial sentence not only protected the public but also vindicated the victim of Stanley’s family violence offences.

Stanley cried as he was sentenced and left the room before the court proceedings were finished.

Stanley was also disqualified from driving for four years and find $500 for negligent driving.

The court heard of Stanley’s crime spree leading up to his arrest on September 23 following the issuing of a warrant after he failed to appear in court.

In the previous six months, Stanley had stolen $2600 from a customer at the Commonwealth Bank in Launceston, a car from Invermay, a Range Rover worth $136,000 from a car wash, clothes from a menswear store in George Town, a motorcycle from Newnham and work boots from Bunnings in Burnie.

The court heard Stanley was violent, kicking the doors of the divisional van as he was transported by police from Irishtown to the Burnie station.

He continued to act in an agitated manner once there and paced the charge room, being told repeatedly to stay away from the doors.

Stanley then saw an opportunity and escaped the station via a fire door.

He ran, with police in pursuit, to the nearby railways. Stanley dodged police by running between the carriages of a slow-moving train before he jumped into a work vehicle that had its engine running.

He drove along railway tracks and then crossed onto the wrong side of the road as he drove towards Upper Burnie, where he dumped the car and fled on foot.

He was arrested at the Spirit of Tasmania terminal in Devonport on September 26.

The court was told he had planned to leave the state and was wearing makeup and had hair dye with him to try to avoid identification.

Stanley’s sentence was backdated to September 27.