
A 22-year-old Coodanup man will spend more time behind bars after being handed prison sentences for stealing and driving offences in Mandurah Magistrates court last Friday.
Appearing via video link from Hakea Prison, Jamie Edward Barnard-Piper pleaded guilty to 10 charges including stealing, attempted stealing, aggravated home burglary, trespassing, dangerous driving, driving a vehicle that did not comply with vehicle standards regulations, no authority to drive, driving with an illicit drug in oral fluid or blood, plus two counts of possessing cannabis.
The court heard that on May 24, Barnard-Piper rode an unregistered motorbike in Coodanup and hit another vehicle while trying to overtake it, before he rode into oncoming traffic and hit another car, which caused damage to the right side of the vehicle and resulted in him being taken to hospital.
While in hospital, Barnard-Piper was subjected to an oral fluid test, which showed he was under the influence of methylamphetamine and cannabis at the time.
On July 17, Barnard-Piper broke into a Greenfields home with two accomplices and stole tools, a laptop and gaming computer setup, worth nearly $43,000.
He was identified by fingerprints and DNA left at the home, and when police searched his Coodanup residence they found the stolen gaming PC tower, a mouse and keyboard.
Then on August 3, Barnard-Piper, again accompanied by two others, broke into a Rouse Road business and used some of the previously stolen tools to try and remove wheel nuts from a car at the premises.
When he was found by police, Barnard-Piper admitted to the attempted theft, telling police he was "trying to get the rims because they looked good".
Barnard-Piper's lawyer Frederick Butafa said his client had previously served time in prison for burglary, where he liked the "regimented" nature of prison life as outside he had "no structure" in his life and became "easily bored".
Mr Butafa said on being released, Barnard-Piper was living with his dad in Orelia to "avoid mixing with his group of friends" in the Mandurah area who were claimed to have a negative influence on his behaviour, and on returning to Mandurah he got himself into trouble again.
He made a request for an intensive supervision order, however, Magistrate Leanne Atkins said she saw "no positive reason why" she should grant that when Barnard-Piper had "failed to comply with every single court order" previously, with "all avenues tried, none succeeded".
She sentenced Barnard-Piper to one year and six months prison for the aggravated home burglary, adding "everyone should be able to feel safe in their home... you think you can go into someone's home and it's okay to steal".
Ms Atkins also imposed five months prison for the charge of having no authority to drive, and four months for trespassing, backdated to August 3, both to be served concurrently with the first sentence, with parole eligibility.
Barnard-Piper also received a nine-month driving disqualification and $4000 fine for the dangerous driving, driving a vehicle that did not comply with vehicle standards regulations, and driving with an illicit drug in oral fluid or blood charges.