by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Dandenong car-thief who crashed at high speed, writing off the stolen vehicle “for the sake of a five-minute joy-ride” has faced court.
Liam Casley, now 21, pleaded guilty at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court to a string of charges including dangerous driving, disqualified driving, car theft and failing to render assistance after a crash.
He had paid a “social visit” to a Noble Park home on 22 March last year and got annoyed with the resident who didn’t want to join him in stealing a car, police told the court.
As a result, Casley stole car keys and sped off in the man’s Mazda parked in the driveway.
Travelling at fast speed, Casley was unable to stop safely behind slow-moving traffic near the intersection of Corrigan Road and Putt Grove, Keysborough about 7.30pm.
He slammed on the brakes, veered into the rear corner of a vehicle and pushed another vehicle into a property fence.
The latter vehicle was considerably damaged, police told the court.
Casley fled, jumping over a back fence into Manooka Court and escaping in a Subaru Forrester to Frankston.
Less than three weeks earlier, Casley was convicted at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court for driving dangerously and five counts of car theft.
As a result, he was disqualifed from driving and on a community corrections order at the time of the crash.
In a statement to the court, the Noble Park victim slammed Casley’s “unforgiveable” and “disgraceful” behaviour.
An apprentice chef, he had depended on his written-off Mazda to get to work and visit family and friends.
With his insurer refusing to pay out, the victim was faced with a $13,000 car-loan debt and no transport- all the sake of a “five-minute joy-ride”, he stated.
Appearing on a prison video link, Casley also pleaded guilty to breaching a family violence intervention order.
This was due to illegally speaking to an ex-partner via several calls made by a “third-party” in prison.
He’d tried to “sweet talk” her into taking him back, despite the non-contact IVO until 2030.
A defence lawyer told the court that Casley’s breach was well-intentioned and conciliatory, rather than abusive.
The lawyer pointed to sentencing remarks by Victorian County Court judge Carolene Gwynn in June, who jailed Casley over kidnapping and recklessly causing injury to his ex-partner.
Casley’s “considerable” behavioural and mental health issues had been noted by the judge, the lawyer said.
His complex diagnoses included autism, ADHD, borderline personality disorder and PTSD.
For the sake of his rehabilitation, it was vital that an NDIS support package was waiting for Casley when released from remand, the lawyer said.
Casley wasn’t getting those wrap-around supports in custody and wasn’t getting any better, he argued.
Prosecution and defence lawyers agreed that Casley should be jailed.
The question was how long – with Casley being eligible for parole in four months as part of the County Court sentence.
He will be sentenced at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday 12 August.
