A teenager who helped his mate carry out a break-and-enter rampage on a series of Illawarra businesses in order to get money for drugs has been sentenced to at least two years behind bars.
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Dylan Ison, 19, left a trail of destruction in his wake as he and co-offender Brandon Gee tore through businesses in Dapto, Shellharbour and Warilla on February 25, 2017.
Court documents reveal the pair, driving a stolen car, took less than 40 minutes to steal thousands of dollars worth goods and ransack four shops, with their spree only coming to an end thanks to the sharp teeth of a local police dog.
The duo hit up Dapto Dominos first, using a sledgehammer to force their way inside and cause $10,000 worth of damage.
They then headed to Cash Converters in the Shellharbour and ransacked the shop, taking $20,000 worth of stock and causing $5,000 in damage.
They then moved onto the Warilla Bing Lee, but were unable to gain entry to the building and instead turned their attention to Ocean Storm Fishing and Tackle next door, leaving a $25,000 damage bill.
Both men were arrested near the Shell Cove marina a short time later after being tracked by a local police dog.
In sentencing Ison in Wollongong District Court on Monday, Judge Andrew Haesler acknowledged that Ison’s unstable upbringing with a drug-abusing father meant he had been exposed to drug use from an early age and was regularly surrounded by people with anti-social and criminal backgrounds.
However, he said Ison now had positive, pro-social connections in the community including his mother and girlfriend, who were in court to support him.
With time served, Ison will be released on parole in August 2019.
Gee, who was on parole at the time, has already been sentenced to three years behind bars for his role in the crime spree.