Jake Morgan: Launceston ice addict guilty of 49 charges

A young Tasmanian addict previously jailed for 11 months for violently bashing a woman has been sentenced on a raft of offences, including assaulting a man after committing a burglary.

Launceston criminal Jake Christopher Morgan, 25. Picture: Facebook

A young Tasmanian ice addict bashed an unsuspecting man after burgling his car and required restraint by multiple police officers and security guards, fracturing one of their hands, during a wild attempt to escape custody, a court has heard.

Launceston man Jake Christopher Morgan, 25, was sentenced on 49 charges in Launceston Magistrates Court on Tuesday. He had previously pleaded guilty to all of them.

The charges included, most seriously, common assault, burglary, aggravated burglary and attempt to escape.

There were also multiple charges of stealing, breaching bail and police family violence orders, and drug-related offending.

The offences were mostly committed between July and November last year.

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On July 27 last year, Morgan caught a taxi to Summerdale Medical Centre, accidentally leaving his bag, which contained stolen mobile phones and watches, in the back seat.

Morgan then burgled a vehicle in the parking lot and then accosted a stranger for $50. When the interaction turned aggressive, the bystander attempted to de-escalate, but Morgan punched him several times in the face.

The victim “stumbled” into the medical centre to receive treatment.

Launceston criminal Jake Christopher Morgan, 25. Picture: Facebook

The taxi driver, meanwhile, had dropped Morgan’s bag into Launceston Police Station, at which point officers set out to track down the defendant.

When they discovered him at South Launceston, he was in possession of clipseal bags of methamphetamine, buprenorphine and cannabis.

Morgan was remanded in custody overnight. When he attended court the following day, he made a desperate bid for escape, repeatedly attempting to vault from the dock.

He required the restraint of several police officers and security guards. One was left with a fractured hand as a result of the melee.

Morgan has been remanded in custody since September 22 this year. He spent various shorter periods in custody on the current charges, for a total of 241 days – just over eight months.

The court was told that Morgan spent 11 months in custody, with a further 10 months suspended, in 2020 after he was sentenced in Launceston Supreme Court for brutally bashing his former partner.

Defence lawyer Andrew Lonergan said his client had been in a new relationship for the past two years and there had been no domestic violence offences committed against her.

He said his client became addicted to ice from a young age and was in the “grips” of his addiction during the current offending.

Magistrate Simon Brown sentenced Morgan to eight months’ imprisonment, backdated to April, with the effect that he was released from custody on Tuesday.