A Campbell Town man who went on a crime spree within weeks of being placed on a drug treatment order will spend up to 12 months in jail following the cancellation of that order.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Phillip James Standage, 34, was placed on the order on April 13, 2022 despite the reservation of officers from the court mandated drug diversion program. He had previously failed on a similar order.
Magistrate Sharon Cure urged him to prove the assessment by the officers was wrong.
Being on the order meant he did not have to serve seven months in jail if he complied.
However, within weeks he was committing crimes all over Northern Tasmania including selling drugs and was back in custody by May 29.
He pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the crimes which included motor vehicle stealing, two counts of driving while disqualified, possession of stolen property and stealing fuel.
Police prosecutor Mike Bonde said that on May 22 a Husqvarna chainsaw and a Ryobi nail gun worth $550 were stolen from a trailer.
After police arrested Standage they found photographs of the stolen goods on his mobile phone as well as a separate chainsaw and brushcutter.
On the same day he stole 20 litres of fuel.
The next day a Toyota Landcruiser was stolen from a property on Lake Leake Road.
On May 24 the same vehicle was used when Standage pumped 120 litres of diesel at a Prospect Vale service station. CCTV footage was matched to an image on his phone which showed him wearing the same clothes.
Within days he broke into a home in Tudor Avenue, Newstead and was loading items into a backpack when someone from the house found him.
Standage shone a torch in the man's eyes.
He stole a bankcard and within 10 minutes bought goods from a nearby service station.
On May 28 police attempted to intercept a Nissan Pulsar in Campbell Town, but it sped off accelerating to 80km/h in a 50kmh zone.
On May 30 Standage was arrested while trying to hide in a bush at a property at Prospect.
Mr Bonde said a search of a property after his arrest found significant amounts of methylamphetamine and cannabis in snaplock bags ready for sale.
He told police that he used ice daily and the last time he used was the day before.
"He told police he was selling cannabis to make ends meet," Mr Bonde said.
Defence counsel Fran McCracken said that it was conceded that Standage had little reason not to serve the full seven months.
She said Standage had problems with an associate from prison who brought stolen property to his address.
In sentencing Ms Cure said that the tragedy of Standage's case was that his drug addiction was severe.
"It's very hard because when people reoffend you can't keep putting them back in the community because of the risk they pose to the community and in Mr Standage's case it is because of his driving," he said.
She cancelled the drug treatment order and ordered that he serve the seven-month custodial component of the order.
For the latest offending she added three months in jail for the aggravated evasion of police, and three months for the other offences. Two months of the respective sentences were to be served concurrently.
She allowed him the opportunity to seek parole after half the sentence, six months, although "the reality is he may not get parole."
Before receiving the order Standage pleaded guilty to a spate of crimes committed over the Christmas period last year including negligent driving, two counts of drive while disqualified, use a controlled drug, motor vehicle stealing, possession of stolen property and drug driving.
He was high on ice when he drove onto the incorrect side of the Midland Highway and crashed into an oncoming vehicle.
The court heard Standage was heading south in a black Ford Courier at 12.25pm on December 24.
A disqualified driver, he had used ice at 10am and was driving to Campbell Town to see his girlfriend.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.examiner.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @examineronline
- Follow us on Instagram: @examineronline
- Follow us on Google News: The Examiner
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
