The Courts bring us a cracking read from the sentencing of Dean Simonds for breaking into Fitness First and stealing the float (would have gotten away with it if Cherish Campbell wasn’t a lousy getaway driver) and trying to shake down a drug buyer in Isabella Plains leading to crowbar shenanigans:
At about 12.30 pm on 19 November 2010 the offender went to the home of Mr Wayne Harrington, at 55 Werriwa Crescent in Isabella Plains, to obtain payment of a debt owed by Mr Harrington for some prohibited drugs bought by him from someone who has not been identified. Mr Harrington and the offender knew each other. Mr Harrington allowed the offender into the lounge room of his home. With Mr Harrington in his home were his son, aged 15 years, and his neighbour, Mr Michael Temby.
When inside the home, the offender told Mr Harrington that he had come to obtain payment of the debt and he demanded the money from him. This caused an argument between Mr Harrington and the offender which lead to Mr Harrington asking the offender to leave his home, something that the offender did not do.
Being concerned by what was happening, Mr Harrington picked up a crowbar from somewhere within the lounge room of the home and hit the offender with it. The offender was annoyed by being hit with the crowbar and he took the crowbar from Mr Harrington.
After taking the crowbar from Mr Harrington, the offender swung the crowbar towards Mr Harrington’s head but, fortunately for him, the crowbar missed his head. Then, the offender swung the crowbar towards Mr Harrington’s left leg and, unfortunately for him, the crowbar hit his leg above the knee, causing lacerations and abrasions to the leg. I assume that this assault upon Mr Harrington was witnessed by the complainant’s son and Mr Temby.
After being hit by the crowbar, Mr Harrington went from the lounge room into the kitchen of his home and closed the kitchen door behind him. He held the kitchen door closed when the offender tried to force the door open, causing a hole in it by hitting it with the crowbar and another hole in it by kicking it with one of his feet. I do not know the whereabouts of Mr Harrington’s son and Mr Temby during the time that the offender was trying to force open the kitchen door.
Being unable to force open the kitchen door, the offender left Mr Harrington’s home and entered a car parked outside Mr Harrington’s home, which was then driven away.
Dean’s eligible for parole in October 2014.