By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A MAN who went on a stealing spree of expensive goods including a diamond ring to fund his 20-year drug habit has convinced a magistrate that he has turned his life around.
Daniel Locic pleaded guilty to three counts of stealing motor vehicles as well as to a shoplifting bounty including two rings worth more than $10,600, a pair of $100 jeans as well as suspected stolen items such as perfume from stores in Frankston, Doncaster and Mornington in 2015.
Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told Locic was arrested in a Suzuki Swift stolen from a Narre Warren home garage in August 2015.
He was arrested in the car with stolen plates at Waverley Gardens shopping centre a month later, with counterfeit $50 notes, a flick-knife, a smashed stolen mobile phone and a suspected-stolen battery charger in the car.
Locic also pleaded guilty to attempting to steal a BMW from a Clayton car yard in December 2014.
He drove the car from a storage factory to a chain wire fence – with a hole cut in it for him to drive through. However the car was driven just 100 metres before it ran out of petrol.
Locic also pleaded guilty over using a stolen BMW X5 in ramraids at two bottleshops in December. One of the ram raids was unsuccessful due to bollards impeding the 4WD’s progress.
At the other, Locic and a co-accused stole $500 of cigarettes and attempted to tow out a safe containing $50,000 until the towing rope snapped.
Two weeks later, Locic tried to lift a car park boom gate at The Arts Centre, Southbank so the X5 could be driven out without payment.
He was unsuccessful so his co-accused driver drove through the boom gate, causing $1000 damage.
When Locic was arrested in Hampton on 29 December, police seized some of the stolen cigarettes, three iPads, a bottle containing GHB, a double-edged dagger, a knife, and a glass-breaking hammer from inside the X5.
Inside a Hampton residence was found a phone and computer stolen during a Bonbeach aggravated burglary.
Locic was also charged with disqualified driving and drug-driving on ice.
His lawyer Chris Edwards said Locic had served 114 days in custody before being released on a successful stint of CREDIT bail in April.
In the following five months, the accused had complied with every CREDIT bail condition including counselling and drug treatment, and had secured a place in a traffic-management vocational course, Mr Edwards said.
Locic had been offending to fund a $500-plus weekly ice habit while unemployed, but had recently paid off his drug debts, the court was told.
“It’s his second attempt at a significant period of sobriety. It’s been a relatively successful attempt,” Mr Edwards said.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said Locic had been facing a significant jail term, particularly allied with some historic armed robbery convictions.
He said Locic and his co-accused “were running absolutely “red hot” during the latest offending.
However, Locic’s compliance with CREDIT bail over several months substantially reduced his risk of re-offending, Mr Vandersteen said.
“At some point, something might have switched in your head.”
He sentenced Locic to a 30-month community correction order with 300 hours of community work, judicial monitoring and supervision.
Locic’s 114 days in remand was counted as time already served in jail. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay $10,694 compensation for the stolen rings.
“I would say it was a punt by the court in releasing you (on CREDIT bail),” Mr Vandersteen said.
“But on that punt, you’re returning a very positive response to it.”
