By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A MAN was chastised for burping and laughing as he faced Dandenong Magistrates’ Court for smashing a grandmother’s laundry with a plank of wood.
Joshua Imrei, 23, who was stated to live in the Dandenong area, had been arrested on 17 April after being intercepted with two other males in a car in Endeavour Hills.
One of the occupants had a loaded pistol in their pocket and knuckledusters in his pants.
Imrei claimed he owned a knife in a sheath that was found in another occupant’s bag by police.
In court, his lawyer said the other males mistakenly told police that the knife belonged to Imrei.
He also pleaded guilty during the 18 April hearing to stealing sausages from Narre Warren IGA by stuffing them down his pants in November.
In December, Imrei allegedly breached an intervention order when he followed his ex-girlfriend into her grandmother’s laundry, damaged a washing machine and then broke a window with a large plank of wood.
Police prosecutor Glenn Horman told the court that Imrei was judged as too aggressive to be interviewed at the time and was assessed by CAT mental health professionals.
Imrei was also charged after throwing his coffee over his ex-partner and then hurling her mobile phone at Endeavour Hills shopping centre in July.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen asked Imrei’s lawyer if the accused was well, noting that he had laughed and burped during the hearing.
“I’m not having anyone sitting in court burping. It’s discourteous.”
Imrei interjected: “Sorry Your Honour. I won’t burp.”
The defence lawyer said CREDIT bail reports outlined Imrei’s history of mental illness but the last report stated Imre was in a “contemplative state”.
“He was balancing a correctional order and credit bail (at the same time) which can be difficult to balance.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted that Imrei had attended most of his CREDIT bail program but had not been so compliant with the 18-month community order.
He said most of Imrei’s recent offending was late last year, he accepted his complex mental health issues and believed that he didn’t know about the loaded gun and knuckledusters.
He warned Imrei about the possible implications of carrying a loaded gun in a car during a road-rage incident.
“Are you prepared to serve 15-20 years?”
Imrei was remanded in custody for a further community corrections order assessment.
