By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A REGISTERED sex offender caught in Dandenong faced jail for a series of alcohol-fuelled offences, including drink driving up to six times the legal limit.
Peter Deng Thon had been arrested after moving from his registered address in Swan Hill without notifying police, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told on 9 May.
On one of his drink-drives, Thon allegedly spun his vehicle 180-degrees approaching a red-light camera intersection in Traralgon.
He blamed an under-inflated tyre for the manoeuvre and blew 0.204 – more than four times the legal limit for most drivers but Thon was on a zero-alcohol licence condition.
He was also driving without a required alcohol-interlock at the time.
In June, drivers boxed in Thon’s car due to his erratic driving, including wildly varying speeds and near side-swipings.
When stopped, Thon punched witnesses, struggled with police and blew 0.3.
He was a suspended driver at the time, also in breach of his interlock condition.
In March 2015, an alcohol-effected Thon was also charged with entering a Laverton home without permission.
He was found sitting in an armchair that morning by the resident.
Thon was also charged over not paying for a $30.40 chicken meal with lemonade at a Morwell eatery in July.
An aggressively drunk Thon told police at the time there was nothing wrong with the meal. He just didn’t have enough money to pay.
Thon’s lawyer said alcohol was the “recurring theme” of the accused’s offending, especially since a relationship breakdown in 2006.
Thon had been previously convicted and named on the sex offenders’ register for eight years due to incidents at Flinders Street and Pakenham railway stations in 2013 and 2014.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted that Thon had been previously convicted of drink-driving several times up to four times the legal limit.
“When you have such repetitive offending, you have to protect the community from him.
“There’s an innocent person in the community right now who will be affected by (Thon).”
Mr Vandersteen gave a sentence indication of 18 months jail, with a non-parole period of six months – if Thon pleaded guilty.
Parole was the only way to adequately supervise and engage Thon in alcohol rehabilitation, Mr Vandersteen said.
Thon was likely to be disqualified from driving for at least five years, Mr Vandersteen said.
The accused was remanded to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 16 May.
