By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A CHARITABLE and supportive family wasn’t enough to prevent Luke Ryan Krause from descending into ice-fuelled crime and homelessness, a court has heard.
The 26-year-old from Pakenham was on bail when he refused a police direction to pull over in his unregistered Lancer on Stephensons Road, Clayton, on 26 October.
Krause shook his head at the gesturing officer and sped off at 90 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on Princes Highway.
Two days later, he was found slumped unconscious behind the car’s steering wheel in Cranbourne West by police about 10.15am.
Inside the car was found 14.2 grams of ice, five grams of cannabis, five Viagra tablets, two sets of digital scales and other drug paraphernalia as well as a silver folding knife.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Olivia Wood told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 7 November that a suspectedly stolen laptop was seized from the boot of the car.
All keylocks to car doors were damaged, and its ignition had been hotwired.
Krause had told police he had been living in the car and was selling drugs – at $50 a point – for food and petrol.
Krause was also charged with breaking into a construction site around a residential unit in Sandringham on 7 October and possessing nine packs of prescription medication at a Carlton student accommodation building on 8 September.
“The penny had dropped for him” while in remand custody for the past 10 days, detoxing from two years of ice and cannabis use, according to his lawyer.
Krause had previously worked in commercial kitchens, including at Canadian ski resorts, the court heard.
His ice use began as pain relief and an energy boost after suffering a severe knee dislocation and ligament damage in 2014.
The lawyer told the court that Krause’s well-connected parents – who ran a Pakenham food truck for homeless people- were confronted by their son’s plight.
They were willing to have Krause stay with them, but he’d slept at friends’ homes because he felt embarrassed, the lawyer said.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said Krause’s chances of re-offending were reduced by “protective factors” such as his youth, lack of criminal history and supportive parents.
There was a clear link between Krause’s poor mental health, drug use and homelessness, Mr Vandersteen said.
“You’re contributing to all that by not going home.
“At the moment you’re showing more loyalty to drug users than to your family and yourself.”
Krause was put on a 12-month supervised community corrections order with drug and mental health treatment.
“It’s worth putting more resources into him now to cut (the offending) off,” Mr Vandersteen said.
“I’m not naive enough to think you’ll walk out and not relapse and not re-offend.
“It takes a lot of strength. It’s so important you stay at home and listen to your parents.”
Krause was also disqualified from driving for six months.
