Kurt Brimfield: St Helens chef sentenced on 45 charges

A Tasmanian chef committed 45 offences, including violence and dishonesty, over a year-long period after the loss of his job led to a drug and grog-fuelled life on the streets. STORY >>

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A Tasmanian chef has narrowly avoided a further stint in prison after committing dozens of offences, including a bashing, domestic violence, selling drugs and multiple thefts.

St Helens man Kurt Douglas Brimfield, 29, formerly of Launceston, was sentenced in Launceston Magistrates Court on Wednesday after previously pleading guilty to 45 offences.

They included two counts of common assault, one against his partner, the other against a person he administered repeated “blows to the head”, five counts of stealing, multiple breaches of police and interim family violence orders, destroying and injuring property, resisting and threatening a police officer, and selling and possessing cannabis.

All offences bar two breaches of a police family violence order, committed in October last year, were committed in 2021.

Brimfield’s offending only ceased when he was arrested and remanded in custody. He spent 37 days on remand between December 27, 2021 and his release on February 3 last year.

St Helens chef Kurt Douglas Brimfield, 29. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Brimfield had a chequered past. He received a partly suspended jail sentence in 2013 for dishonesty, bail, public order, traffic and drug offending, another party suspended jail sentence in 2014 for wounding, and a wholly suspended sentence that same year for low-level sexual offending.

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He was sentenced for further minor offending in 2017.

Defence lawyer Andrew Lonergan said the current offending was touched off by the loss of his client’s job in early 2021.

This led to him losing his accommodation and spending a year “living on the street,” spread between his car, campsites and hotels when he could afford it. He was also attempting to support his children from two previous relationships.

Mr Lonergan said Brimfield was “exposed to some poor influences” on the streets and began abusing drugs and alcohol. He was “regularly using drugs and drinking to excess,” Mr Lonergan said.

Upon his release from remand, Brimfield relocated to St Helens to be close to his terminally ill father, moved in with his partner, who he had previously abused but been forgiven for, and secured employment.

Brimfield is now just one year from completing his chef’s apprenticeship, the court was told.

Magistrate Simon Brown said he was concerned by Brimfield’s “lack of insight” into his offending, particularly the domestic violence charges, but believed that a further period of imprisonment would interfere with the defendant’s rehabilitation.

He fined Brimfield $2000, jailed him for six months (minus the 37 days already served), wholly suspended for two years, disqualified him from driving for two years, and ordered he pay costs and levies of $800.