An offender who targeted the property of an organisation working to help young people has been sentenced to a 12-month jail term, adding to his time behind bars.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Kenneth Greenaway, 22, broke into the Dubbo PCYC and stole two laptops and a musical instrument that were owned by Western College.
He faced Dubbo Local Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of break and enter building and commit serious indictable offence.
On Wednesday magistrate Gary Wilson sentenced Greenaway to a 12-month term of imprisonment, with a non-parole period of six months.
The term will not start until August next year because the Dubbo man is already serving time for an unrelated matter.
The new offence occurred on June 2, and on the morning of that day, Greenaway had been asked to leave the PCYC by a Western College staff member, and did so, court documents show.
Two people saw him entering the club again about midday and head towards the classroom, but one thought he was part of the college group.
The teacher and class had been involved in activities away from the building, and had left the classroom door closed and secured.
When they returned the classroom door was wide open and they discovered two laptop computers and a guitar in a case were missing.
Closed-circuit television showed Greenaway exit the PCYC at the relevant time through the Erskine Street doors, carrying a black case.
When Greenaway was arrested a few days later he was cooperative with police, making some admissions and offering to assist them in the recovery of the stolen property, the agreed facts show.
In court Greenaway’s solicitor submitted the offence was at the lower end of the range and noted the admissions her client had made.
The court heard details of the 22-year-old’s disadvantaged upbringing.
He also had a history of drug use and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia some years earlier, the solicitor said.
“In light of those mental health issues I submit Mr Greenaway is not a suitable vehicle for general deterrence,” she said.
The Crown noted the defence had conceded there needed to be some partial concurrency in the sentence.
Mr Wilson made a finding of special circumstances in varying the non-parole period to six months.
Greenaway will be eligible for release to supervised parole in February 2018.