By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
AN ICE-fuelled Dandenong South man pulled an imitation handgun on a mechanic after accusing the victim of sleeping with his ex-partner.
Bashkim Gashi, 32, pleaded guilty to unlawful assault with a weapon, threatening to inflict serious injury and two counts of stealing mobile phones at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 5 October.
According to an agreed police summary, Gashi had asked the victim to meet him in Dalgety Street, Dandenong South, to fix his car at 7pm on 18 May.
At the meeting, Gashi showed the man a photo on a mobile phone, and asked the man if it was him.
“No, it’s my brother,” the victim replied.
Gashi then showed a second photo of a female and asked the victim: “Have you had sex with her?”
The accused demanded the victim produce his phone and type in the ex-partner’s number.
The ex-partner’s name came up on the mechanic’s phone; he later told police that he had fixed her car in the past.
The victim was told to phone the number, then the ex-partner’s home number – but there was no answer on both occasions.
The victim was then told to call a third number – which was the ex-partner’s brother, who answered the call.
Gashi spoke to the brother, ended the call and placed the victim’s iPhone 6 in his pocket.
When the victim asked for his phone back, Gashi pointed a black imitation hand gun at the victim’s stomach and told him to get back in the car.
Four days earlier in Doveton, an “angry” Gashi stole the phone of a female friend of his ex-partner’s, the police summary stated.
He had alleged the friend’s phone contained text messages about his relationship with the ex-partner.
Gashi’s lawyer told the court on Monday that the accused had drug issues for the past six years, including using high amounts of ice at the time of offending.
The accused had been remanded in custody since 19 May, and been subject to 23-hour-a-day lockdowns due to prison riots, the lawyer said.
Magistrate Julie O’Donnell sentenced Gashi to a 12-month community corrections order on top of 140 days served in pre-sentence custody.
A full intervention order was varied – with the consent of his ex-partner – to allow him to contact her by phone and to meet her at an agreed location other than her address.
Gashi was also ordered to give a DNA sample to police.
