By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A MAN who crashed his car through a Kooweerup home’s front fence while trying to pick up his mobile phone under his seat has been described by a judge as being in a “hopeless” situation of homelessness, drug addiction and poor mental health.
Adam Wheatley, 33, fronted Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 9 May on charges including careless driving and fleeing the crash scene without exchanging his name and address.
On 14 June, Wheatley lost control of his car on Rossiter Road when he tried to recover his phone after it fell from its dashboard holder.
He fled on foot from the unregistered car, which was substantially damaged by the crash, the court was told.
Wheatley later told police that he’d hit the brakes as he reached for his phone. “It happened so quickly,” he allegedly told police.
Wheatley was also charged over three petrol drive-offs in Cranbourne North, the theft of a $79 portable speaker from a Pakenham store, and possession of a hand-made metal knife with a sharpened end.
He was also charged with the possession of deal bags of cannabis and ice in his car at Narre Warren railway station in December.
Wheatley had a diagnosed intellectual disability, and was periodically homeless over the past 12 months, his lawyer Nadine Daniel told the court.
She said Wheatley had taken positive steps to rid himself from an entrenched ice and cannabis addiction by self-admitting himself to Casey Hospital earlier this year.
The addiction was linked to his offending, she said.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted that Wheatley’s rehabilitation should be the focus but it hadn’t been the accused’s focus in the past.
“It’s difficult to know how much he is willing to change. Everyone in the cells says they are willing to change.
In the past, time served in custody “didn’t seem to serve any purpose”, Mr Vandersteen said.
In addition, a court-imposed drug treatment order was cancelled due to Wheatley’s lack of engagement in 2014.
Wheatley had also failed to comply with a recent community corrections order for petrol drive-offs.
Mr Vandersteen said Wheatley’s offending was at a lower level but his situation of homelessness, drug use and mental illness was “quite hopeless”.
Wheatley was sentenced to 13 days’ jail – already served in pre-sentence detention – and a 12-month community corrections order.
The accused was disqualified from driving for six months, and ordered to complete 40 hours of unpaid work as part of last year’s CCO.
