Kobe Reed's sentencing deferred on theft and driving charges

Kobe Reed, 19, now of Portland, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Thursday, September 27, to a range of driving offences, including reckless conduct endangering life.

Reed was also charged with theft of a farm quad bike and a Toyota HiLux, as well as driving-related offending which police allege put members of the public in danger.

Reed admitted buying a bag of white pills at a nightclub overnight on Friday, July 7, and he took six pills before being picked up by his mother in Warrnambool at 4.30am the next morning.

He claims to have no memory of the offending.

Reed went to a dairy farm where he worked and stole a quad bike early on July 8, with tracks leading to his Allansford home.

The tracks indicated Reed performed donuts on the quad bike.

Police said Reed then drove a Toyota HiLux utility he stole from the farm at Allansford to Mepunga early on Saturday, July 8, then to Mortlake and then Willatook, north of Koroit, where police found the vehicle.

When arresting the man on Sunday, July 9, officers seized his mobile phone and discovered Reed had filmed himself three times during his offending.

Once was at Mepunga West about 6.30am, when the ute speedo indicated Reed was doing 160km/h while going around a corner on the wrong side of the road and across double lines.

At 8.47am he was near Mortlake doing in excess of 150km/h.

Then he was at Willatook at 11am where the vehicle was found.

Reed at the time was a learner driver and he spent two days in custody after being arrested.

Police also claimed Reed had tried to steal a Toyota Kluger, but snapped the key in the ignition and then tried to hot-wire the vehicle.

Reed was also on a court-imposed community corrections order at the time for previous offending.

A lawyer submitted that since the offending Reed had generally complied with his order, a report was positive and Reed had returned a clean drug test on August 4.

A psychological report also indicated Reed would be assisted with supervision and courses through a CCO.

Reed has now moved to Portland, is living with a family member and has a new job in the livestock industry.

In deferring sentencing, magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said Reed had been involved in serious offending while already on a CCO.

However, he said higher courts recognised sending a 19-year-old to an adult jail could be a "ruinous and destructive thing to do".

"Most 19-year-olds don't cope well in adult custody," he said.

"Since the offending you have got a job and although it's early days you appear to be making progress.

"You have moved to Portland, are living with your uncle, behaving yourself, arriving at work on time and not using drugs or alcohol."

The magistrate said there was a suggestion Reed had turned the corner in his life, but he needed to continue on the positive path

He warned Reed if he returned to offending he would be jailed.

Reed was also banned from driving for 12 months.

Mr Lethbridge decided to defer sentencing until a further hearing on March 18, 2024.

"What happens in the next six months is crucial to what happens in the six months after that," the magistrate told Reed.

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