A burglar who stole valuable comic books, fishing gear, and other items tried to coerce a mentally ill man "to join him in the orgy of criminality", a court has found.
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Adam Lucas, 44, was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday.
He had previously pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including burglary, theft and using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence.
Acting Justice Richard Refshauge sentenced Lucas to a drug and alcohol treatment order for almost four years.
The offences date back to March 2022, when Lucas befriended a resident of an apartment complex in Phillip.
The court heard in September 2022 that the resident was mentally ill and vulnerable when Lucas moved in with him.
On Wednesday, Acting Justice Refshuage stated Lucas stole property from 10 storage cages in the building, using a special tool to break the locks.
He stole a variety of items including musical instruments, clothing, tools, valuable comic books, snow gear, and fishing equipment.
The judge said Lucas had attempted to coerce the resident "to join him in the orgy of criminality" by acting as a "look-out".
The man was frightened of Lucas, who stored the stolen property at the Phillip apartment.
Lucas also made threats to the resident, saying he would "bash" him.
"Messages sent to him on his phone were harassing, abusive, and full of crude language," Acting Justice Refshuage said.
Lucas sold some of the stolen items to people who would then on-sell them.
The offender also stole more items from garages at another apartment complex in Phillip.
Ultimately, the mentally ill man attended a police station and told officers about Lucas' crimes.
After he was arrested, Lucas had "tried to suggest another person had brought stolen property into the apartment," Acting Justice Refshauge said.
"The burglaries were committed to allow Mr Lucas to find his drug habit.
"There was not a high level of organisation or sophistication."
The judge said the resident has been put in a "vulnerable position" after becoming friends with Lucas.
The 44-year-old had started using methamphetamine from the age of 15, and had also used marijuana on a daily basis.
However, Acting Justice Refshuage said Lucas had attended residential rehabilitation and had not used drugs since his offending.
The judge found Lucas had been introduced to drugs at an early age, before he could give informed consent, and this lessened his moral culpability.
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Under a drug and alcohol treatment order, Lucas will be required to undertake counselling and case management meetings.
He will also be required to complete drug tests three times per week.
Speaking directly to Lucas, Acting Justice Refshauge said the program was "intended to help you address this drug dependency".
"If you want to be drug and crime free you've come to the right place, we want that too.
"Genuinely, I say good luck."
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