A Mayfield man given a chance to turn his life around will need to stand up for himself and not give in to criminal associates, a Launceston magistrate said.
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James Peter Sampson, 32, pleaded guilty to a raft of offences including stealing 10 motor vehicles between February and December last year and seven counts of receiving stolen property worth a total of $28,825.
Magistrate Ken Stanton allowed Sampson to do his penance via a drug treatment order rather than serve 16 months in jail.
But he made clear that it would take hard work for him to succeed after a lifetime of drug addiction.
He told Sampson that he would have to cut off his associations with the type of people that he allowed to bring stolen property to his home.
"You have been interacting with people who have a negative influence on you," he said. "They will derail you and will destroy you.
"They have ways of getting at you because of your drug problems in the past and it is difficult to say no."
In 2012, Sampson escaped from Risdon Prison through two roller doors and into a waiting car.
He and a Hobart man were driven to Launceston by an anonymous person, they were on the run for five days.
"You need to stand up for yourself and not give in like you previously did by receiving stolen property and the like," Mr Stanton said.
Sampson answered "yes" several times as Mr Stanton spoke.
Police prosecutor Andrew Gillard read the facts of some of Sampson's crimes.
On New Year's Day, he went to a unit in Newnham and was disturbed by householders when wheeling a motorcycle out of a trailer. "What are you doing?" a person yelled.
"The defendant ran but a distinctive tattoo above his eyebrow allowed the complainants to identify him," he said.
He said they got in a vehicle to chase him until Sampson walked toward them with an illegal raised baton saying "do you want to go" and then struck the vehicle.
Sampson pleaded guilty to behave violently and unlawfully use a dangerous article.
Defence counsel Mark Doyle said Sampson had realised he needed help and was now ready to accept it.
"It is going to be difficult and may not be linear in its progression," he said.
He said Sampson had a longstanding drug addiction which had been controlling him and his actions ever since.
Mr Stanton said Sampson's had been serious persistent offending with motor vehicles as a common theme.
"The reward for you is that you won't be going to jail," he said.
"The stick part is that if you fail you will spend a very long time in prison."
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
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