By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A MAN accused of a spate of car thefts and burglaries as well as co-harbouring about $100,000 of purported stolen property has made a failed bail application in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
Jeremy Leigh Jose, 35, had spent nearly two months in custody when he fronted the court on 9 May.
Police told the court that during Jose’s “prolific” alleged thefts this year he had been bailed to a Hallam address and under a community corrections order.
But when arrested in early March he was found to be living in Traralgon with a co-accused and about $100,000 of suspected stolen property.
He’d stopped reporting as part of his bail since mid-February, the court was told.
Jose and a co-accused allegedly drove two stolen Hyundai vans into a Traralgon car wash on 9 March, sprayed blue paint over CCTV cameras, and broke four padlocks to coin machines, according to a police summary tendered to the court.
Police allege Jose – also known as Jeremy Osler on some police briefs – stole the vans from businesses in Hallam and Dandenong South in December and February.
In little over a month in February and March there were a further 14 alleged thefts, including a Great Wall ute from Berwick on 31 January – 1 February.
On 16 February, the ute was sighted as Jose allegedly stole $4500 from a car wash’s locked cabinet.
Other alleged crimes included a home burglary netting $3100 of bathroom, kitchen fittings and a dishwasher, and the theft of a TV and generator from a caravan.
In arguing for bail, defence lawyer John Buxton said Jose was contesting some of the matters and had been found suitable for a CREDIT bail program with drug and alcohol counselling.
Mr Buxton proposed a strict curfew and reporting regime for Jose, who would live in Warragul.
Jose required further Crohn’s Disease treatment, following the surgical removal of a large section of his blocked bowel last year, the lawyer said.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said Jose was facing years in jail if convicted, noting a lack of compliance with court orders and a number of outstanding charges on top of the latest offences.
“He says he’s got to look after a child but he’s all over the state of Victoria – as far as Sale – at different times of the day… in stolen vehicles, in burglaries and attempted burglaries.”
Mr Vandersteen, in rejecting bail, deemed Jose was an unacceptable risk of re-offending.
“The offences are just too many.”
Jose was remanded to appear at La Trobe Magistrates’ Court on 1 June then to Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 6 June.
