By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Doveton drug addict who burgled and robbed his own 95-year-old grandfather at least 14 times has been chastised by a judge for his “absolute breach of trust”.
Justin John Pickford, 41, a veteran offender of 109 burglaries, had routinely hidden outside the Hallam backyard bungalow until his grandfather took a morning shower, a court heard on 22 May.
Over three weeks, Pickford then snuck inside and stole an estimated total of $2000 cash from a bedside drawer.
His 14 offences were captured on the home and bungalow’s CCTV between 21 February and 14 March.
In court, Pickford pleaded guilty to the burglaries, drug possession as well as a 15th burglary in Frawley Road, Hallam.
He’d sold off the latter’s looted goods for $400 to settle debts, he told police.
He’d “fallen on hard times” and needed the cash to survive.
At the time, Pickford was on an 18-month community corrections order for a previous theft and burglary.
A defence lawyer told the court that Pickford’s behaviour was consistent with someone using heroin on a daily basis.
He was substituting heroin for his methadone program, and stealing to support his habit and himself financially, the court heard.
He had started on heroin in 1996, with a long hiatus after a jail stint in 2005. He moved to Queensland, where he settled with a partner for a decade and had no criminal record.
However, his relationship fell apart. He moved back to Victoria in 2015, work dried up and he fell back into drug use, his lawyer said.
“It’s unfortunate that Mr Pickford has found himself back where he is today.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted Pickford, who appeared via video-link in custody, seemed “ashamed” for exploiting his vulnerable grandfather.
“There are not 15 different victims but one victim where it’s an absolute breach of trust.
“He’s your grandfather.”
Mr Vandersteen said Pickford seemed almost willing to “walk through a brick wall” to feed his addiction during this “significant relapse”.
Pickford was jailed for 28 months, with a non-parole period of one year. He was concurrently jailed for his breached and cancelled corrections order.
