A man has admitted to stealing a woman's car not once, but twice - the second time after he showed up at her home to apologise for the first theft.
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Jacob Hayden, 22, faced Wollongong Local Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to five charges stemming from crimes he committed in December last year.
A set of agreed facts said the victim, a 37-year-old woman, had met Hayden and another man at her friend's house on December 8 when she was asked to take the pair to a unit block in Avondale Road and to get food.
The woman agreed and took the men to McDonald's in Dapto in her Commodore.
After they left the fast food outlet to head to the units, Hayden said he could not find his keys so the woman pulled over.
Hayden then said: "We are taking your car", to which the victim replied: "Like f--k you are".
Hayden tried to grab the keys from the ignition, but the woman was faster.
However, when the other man allegedly said: "Give me the keys or I'll punch you in the back of the head", the woman handed over her car keys and got out.
The woman returned to her friend's house but a few hours later was able to retrieve her car upon hearing it was outside the Avondale Road units with the keys on the front seat.
In the early hours of December 13, the victim awoke at her Koonawarra home to knocking and found Hayden and a woman she knew at her door.
The woman said 'Jakey' wanted to apologise to her, and Hayden asked for a cigarette.
The victim opened the door and as she did so, Hayden snatched her keys from her hand, got in her car and reversed it out of the driveway.
He was banned from driving at the time.
The woman reported the theft to police and provided CCTV footage which showed Hayden, armed with a screwdriver, trying to pry open windows before he knocked on the door.
A little over an hour later, the victim's vehicle was driven into the BP service station on King Street, Warrawong by an unknown person.
CCTV captured Hayden getting out of the car and filling a jerry can with $38 of petrol, before getting back in the vehicle and leaving without paying.
The victim's car was recovered later that day and Hayden's prints were found on it.
Hayden was arrested a few days later and the victim picked him out from an identification parade.
He later pleaded guilty to aggravated taking and driving conveyance, being armed with intent to commit a serious indictable offence, taking and driving conveyance, driving while disqualified, and larceny.
In court this week, defence lawyer Nick Ashby told the court that Hayden had good intentions when he went to the woman's house to apologise, but being affected by ice things "unravelled".
The court heard Hayden was released from prison on parole for a police pursuit just a week before the first car theft.
"He instructs me he probably wasn't ready to be released when he was released," Mr Ashby said.
He told the court Hayden was put in hotels and relapsed into drug use.
The court also heard Hayden had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder but was now on medication, and had expressed an interest in undertaking residential rehabilitation.
Mr Ashby asked the court to find special circumstances, which would entitle Hayden to a longer parole period.
The Crown prosecutor said Hayden had had the benefit of special circumstances findings in the past, and his record did not entitle him to any leniency.
Magistrate Claire Girotto sentenced Hayden to 14 months' imprisonment with a non-parole period of seven months, which was due to expire on December 10, 2022 taking into account time already served.
She also placed him on an 18-month community corrections order and banned him from driving for another six months.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
