A 23-year-old parolee will spend at least three years behind bars for his role in an early morning, drug-fuelled break-and-enter rampage that caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to four Illawarra businesses.
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Brandon Gee had not slept for three days when he and Dylan Ison, 19, tore through businesses in Dapto, Shellharbour and Warilla on February 25, leaving a trial of destruction in their wake.
Court documents reveal the pair, driving a stolen car, took less than 40 minutes to hit up Dapto Dominos, Cash Converters in the Shellharbour and Bing Lee and Ocean Storm Fishing and Tackle in Warilla, ransacking each premises and stealing thousands of dollars worth goods.
Police arrived at the tackle shop in time to use their vehicle to block off the carpark exit, however Gee rammed the Nissan into one of the police cars, rendering it undriveable.
Gee then drove at speed through a set of metal gates, flinging them into the nearby McDonald’s car park.
Police pursued the Nissan along Shellharbour Road but terminated the chase when the vehicle began driving on the wrong side of the road. The car was found abandoned in Sophia Street a short time later.
A police dog was brought in to track the two men. They were discovered a short time later inside the Shell Cove marina construction area.
A police dog latched onto Ison’s left thigh, causing him to fall over. Gee surrendered immediately.
The duo was charged over the spree and subsequently pleaded guilty.
Facing Wollongong District Court for sentencing on Friday, Gee told Judge Andrew Haesler he was sorry for the destruction he’d caused.
He said he had relapsed into drug use while on parole and hadn’t slept for three days prior to his rampage.
He said he was serious about staying clean once released from jail and wanted to attend a live-in drug rehabilitation program.
“How do drugs fit into your future?” his lawyer asked him in court.
“They don’t. There’s no [family] with drugs,” he said.
“I just want to be an average person.”
I just want to be an average person.
- Brandon Gee addressing the court
Judge Haesler sentenced Gee to an overall jail term of five years, with a non-parole period of three years.
With time served, he will become eligible to apply for parole in August 2020.