By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Cranbourne man told a court he’d had a “few drinks that night” as he struggled to recall the details of a two-stage $50,000 burglary from a Pakenham farm.
Travis Wood, 22, nonetheless pleaded guilty to burglary and thefts from the Bathe Road property in the early morning of 30 May.
After the gate padlocks were cut, Wood in a Triton ute, and unknown offenders in another vehicle drove in.
They allegedly stole two tandem trailers filled with wood splitters, power tools and 10 bee boxes from the unlocked shed.
They took their loot to Wood’s father’s property in McCarthur Road Upper Beaconsfield.
The same morning, the thieves returned to the farm to steal a Jayco caravan, according to police. It was delivered to the same Upper Beaconsfield lot.
Wood took the trailers and tools to his Cranbourne home, police told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 22 October.
The caravan was recovered by police from the Upper Beaconsfield property.
During a raid of Wood’s home on 5 June, police seized one of the trailers, wood splinters and a chainsaw stolen from the farm.
In a police interview, Wood admitted to the burglary and stealing the seized tools but had no memory of taking bee boxes and the caravan.
He told police he also couldn’t remember who his co-offenders were, due to his drug and alcohol use.
Wood later directed police to the second trailer’s location in a car park near Merinda Park railway station. It had been repainted a different colour since its disappearance.
At the time of the burglary, Wood was not licensed to drive. He’d been suspended due to not completing a drug driver awareness program, the court heard.
A defence lawyer told the court that Wood had no recollection of how he got involved in the break-in.
He not had an opportunity to treat significant mental health and ‘ice’ drug issues on a community corrections order before, the lawyer said.
“He concedes the offending is serious.”
“And he can’t remember a whole lot about it, which is a real problem,” magistrate Jack Vandersteen replied.
“There’s nothing in his medical records that suggests any episodes of black-out.”
The ‘memory loss’ was an “easy way of deflecting”, Mr Vandersteen said.
“I don’t accept you don’t remember anything because it doesn’t make sense.
“I think you need to be more forthcoming.”
Wood told the court that “I did have a few drinks that night”.
“I’ve had things taken from my house as well,” he said – referring to being the victim of a home invasion.
Mr Vandersteen said that would have all been related to drug offending “if I read between the lines”.
He noted Wood was subjected to issues that “no child should be exposed to”, which significantly impacted on Wood’s mental health.
Wood however avoided being involved in “high end” offending up until the “out of character” burglary, Mr Vandersteen noted.
The accused was convicted and placed on a 15-month supervised CCO with treatment programs.
He was ordered to submit a DNA sample to police.
