By Cam Lucadou-Wells
An unlicensed drug driver was found with a police officer’s ID cards after fleeing at high speed in a stolen car through a Pakenham shopping strip.
Jesse Gavin, 26, of Officer, pleaded guilty at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 29 June to charges such as car theft, evading police, unlicensed driving, breaching bail, drug-driving and driving dangerously.
His offending was described as having “de-escalated” in the past year, the court heard.
On 7 March, an unlicensed Gavin spotted a marked police car and made a U-turn in a stolen Toyota Camry with home-made plates on Princes Highway, Pakenham.
Police followed as Gavin hit a fast speed on the wrong side of the road and overtook cars in a busy shopping precinct in Cardinia Lakes Boulevard in the middle of the day.
In the stolen car were 1.7 grams of suspected meth, diazepam pills, three grams of cannabis and suspected stolen identity cards, including Medicare cards belonging to a police officer.
A hatchet and a sling-shot were also seized.
Police also found four sets of Hyundai car keys stolen during a burglary at a Cranbourne car dealer on 27 February.
Gavin, who tested positive to ‘ice’ in his system, told police he had “a couple of bumps of speed” days earlier.
As a recovering drug addict, he was doing better than in 2020, he said at the time.
Gavin had not held a driving license since disqualified as a learner driver in 2017.
Later on bail, Gavin fled from police while he was driving an unregistered Ford Territory with stolen plates in Pine Way, Pakenham on 28 May.
Police chose not to pursue him due to being near a children’s park.
Three hours later, Gavin was arrested at his home, where he tested positive for an illicit drug.
He denied drug-driving in a largely no-comment police interview.
Gavin was also charged over carrying a Taser, phone, small set of scales, a white paste, GHB and erectile-dysfunction pills in December 2020.
Defence lawyer Matthew McLellan said Gavin’s offending “de-escalated” from firearm and family violence charges in the past.
With prospects such as a stable home and a new job, Gavin was better able to tackle his drug and mental health issues, Mr McLellan said.
In sentencing on 6 July, magistrate Suzette Dootjes said Gavin’s “extremely dangerous” driving while on drugs had potential of causing “great harm to the community”.
She noted his priors relating to drugs, driving and family violence.
Gavin had chances to reform on two previous CCOs, which he “hardly complied with”, Ms Dootjes said.
Ms Dootjes opted for a combination sentence of jail and a CCO.
The CCO would “allow for your further rehabilitation – which may be limited but is not extinguished … particularly if you can do something about your drug use”, she told Gavin.
He was jailed for five months, followed by a 12-month CCO including treatment, supervision and judicial monitoring.
On his release from prison, Gavin will be disqualified from driving for 12 months .
