Addict jailed for spate of thefts

A morphine addict who went into people’s yards and stole more than $5600 worth of tools and an outboard motor has been sentenced to 10 months’ jail.

Timothy Bruce Howes was already serving a seven-month sentence for breaching a home detention order, Darwin Magistrates Court heard.

“You have been a thief and burglar for a decade,” Magistrate Greg Cavenagh told Howes. “Your offences were brazen and outrageous, and the citizens of Darwin would be outraged if you did not go to jail for several months.”

Mr Cavenagh backdated the latest sentence to December 2 to account for time in custody and said Howes might get parole on some of the seven months remaining on the other sentence.

He would have given Howes a longer sentence but for him inviting police to interview him in jail and “fessing up” to the stealing offences, to which he pleaded guilty.

Some of the tools were recovered but Mr Cavenagh ordered restitution totalling $3375.

He also imposed fines of $1250, with victim levies of $120 on traffic charges and $500 with a $40 levy for possessing morphine in a public place.

Those fines will be “cut out” in jail.

Howes, 42, also pleaded guilty to several driving charges and three charges of unlawful use.

One of these involved taking a Holden sedan to Queensland, depriving the owner of it for 34 days.

The court heard Howes served three months in Queensland for taking stolen goods (the utility) into that state.

The offences occurred between June 12 and 27 July 2003, Howes selling most of the stolen goods cheaply to buy morphine.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 19th February 2005
Author: Bob Watt
Source: Northern Territory News
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au