By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A South East serial hoon who scammed Government disaster aid schemes and treated roads as his “personal playground” has been jailed.
Dylan Desmond Milkins, 23, pleaded guilty to about 50 charges across two years including high-speed police pursuits, Federal aid scams, petrol drive-offs and a New Years Eve burnout in front of spectators on Belgrave-Hallam Road.
Milkins registered an ABN for a fictitious labour-hire and supply business with false GST credits to receive $24,170 in Covid disaster payments in 2021, Dandenong Magistrates Court heard.
He also made a second attempt to extract $24,870 in the same manner.
Milkins also falsely claimed to be living in flood-hit Penrith NSW and Seymour in rural Victoria to gain $1000 in Commonwealth disaster relief and another attempt for $1000.
He told police that he’d come across the “scheme” on social media.
Defence lawyer Elarya George told the court that a regretful Milkins was unemployed due to Covid lockdowns and financially struggling at the time.
He’d repaid more than $9000 owed to the Commonwealth.
Among his illegal driving spree was a 36-second burnout dangerously near spectators in the middle of Belgrave-Hallam Road in Hallam on New Years Eve night, police told the court.
As part of the midnight burnout, his passenger lit a series of fireworks and dropped them from his unregistered Commodore.
The incident was said to have terrified dogs inside a nearby pet resort.
Unbeknown to Milkins, a by-stander also walked up to the car, while it produced voluminous smoke and flicked out its rear end metres from the crowd, police stated.
A police intelligence officer discovered video of the episode posted on Milkins’ social media account. He later told police he believed he was fully in control of his car at the time.
Milkins was also charged over a late-night police pursuit across Narre Warren, Lynbrook, Dandenong, Springvale and Mulgrave, clocking 150 km/h-plus speeds and running a red light in February 2021.
In a second pursuit, the suspended P-plater on bail cut through and overtook traffic at high speed, reaching 160 km/h in the Monash Freeway emergency lane.
A police officer called off the pursuit due to the alleged dangerous driving.
In April, he was arrested after breaching bail conditions banning him from driving.
On that occasion, he drove on the wrong side of the road and onto a footpath to evade police in Berwick.
In sentencing on 16 June, Dandenong magistrate Jason Ong noted Milkins had no prior convictions but a “poor” driving history.
He’d shown a “blatant disregard for road rules” and treated the roads as his “personal playground”.
The disqualified driver put lives at risk with his high-speed driving despite being banned from driving under bail conditions, Mr Ong noted.
The magistrate noted Milkins was still young with “guarded” rehabilitation prospects. Jail was a last resort but Milkins had reached that juncture, the judge found.
At the forefront of sentencing was to send a message to other would-be offenders, Mr Ong said.
Milkins was jailed for five months, including 86 days in pre-sentence remand.
It will be followed by two concurrent community corrections orders, including supervision, safe driving programs and treatment for mental health and drug issues.
He was also fined $1000 and ordered to repay the remaining $15,450 owed to the Commonwealth.
Milkins was further disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years.
