By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
TWO boarders at a Dandenong rooming house faced charges after being found with an “Aladdin’s cave of ill-gotten goods”.
Simon Jacob, 28, was charged with possessing stolen goods and Trent Harrison, 28, with dealing with the proceeds of crime, when appearing at separate hearings at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court last Monday.
Informant Bret Lavars, of Greater Dandenong CIU, told the court he found an allegedly stolen television in Jacob’s room at the Hemming Street rooming house at 8.20pm on 25 October.
The television matched the description of one stolen from a Scott Street address the day before, Detective Senior Constable Lavars said.
Police also found other items such as another TV, laptops, a video recorder, CD player, cell phones, an axe weapon and zip-lock bags of cannabis and crystal methamphetamine.
Sen Const Lavars said Jacob said he had bought the TV from the co-accused for $200, and had bought the two laptops and video recorder for a friend.
The informant said the co-accused, Harrison, admitted taking possession of stolen goods from other boarding house residents, including Jacob – an old school friend.
Police found two TVs, Angry Bird speakers, Bluetooth player, a Playstation 2 game console, jewellery and gold coins in Harrison’s room.
“A veritable Aladdin’s cave of ill-gotten goods,” magistrate Gerard Bryant mused, as he counted 22 pages of dishonesty offences on Harrison’s “priors list”.
Defence lawyer Effie Lagos said Harrison had been released from jail three weeks prior, and had quickly found work.
He was trying to rid himself of drug problems in the hope of regaining access to his children but fell to the temptations of an “opportunistic crime”, Ms Lagos said.
Harrison told the court: “I don’t need this any more in my life. Locking me up doesn’t help.”
Mr Bryant said he appreciated it was a “difficult journey” from a custodial setting to a boarding house.
“It’s almost inevitable that drug use and criminal (acts) will follow. How do you break that cycle? The problem is he keeps making these ridiculous mistakes.”
Mr Bryant remanded Harrison in custody until he was assessed for a community corrections order.
Two days prior, Jacob was given bail by a duty magistrate.
However he was back in court on Monday after a cellmate on the night of Jacob’s arrest reported Jacob had stolen his shorts, which were drying in the exercise yard.
Magistrate Gerard Bryant adjourned the case, giving Jacob the option of applying for credit bail which would include a regime of counselling and drug treatment.
Jacob opted to be remanded in custody until his next hearing on 26 November.
