A DENNINGTON man who was filmed robbing a nearby house by a neighbour has been jailed for 12 months.
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David Dow, 37, of Drummond Street, pleaded guilty in the Koori division of the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to two counts each of burglary and theft.
He was convicted and jailed for a year and will have to spend three months in prison before being eligible for parole. The offending also breached a suspended sentence that will be served concurrently with the new jail term.
At 10am on July 10, 2008, Dow broke into an unoccupied home near where he lived, took $7 in coins and climbed out a window but was filmed committing the crime by a neighbour.
On June 25 last year Dow manipulated a faulty lock on a unit where he previously lived in Drummond Street and entered the building. He stole $155 in cash from one wallet and $250 from another.
Dow was interviewed by police on August 17 and said he had no reason for committing the offences other than to get money to fund his gambling addiction.
The court heard that a neighbour videotaped the first offence but did not hand the evidence to police until the second offence after giving the defendant a chance not to reoffend.
Dow was claimed to have had an unstable and tragic upbringing in foster care and is under financial stress as he tries to pay back a $28,000 social security overpayment.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said Dow had to take responsibility for his behaviour and he had been given a chance by his neighbour.
He said the impact of burglaries on houses was significant because residents felt violated and unsafe in their homes.
“You have got to be able to exercise a far greater degree of control. People who abuse drugs are at a risk of continued offending,” Mr Klestadt said in reference to Dow’s daily two grams of cannabis use.
The magistrate said Dow now had a new partner who was expecting a child and the defendant had to ask himself what sort of life he wanted.
