Bendigo's Greame Roberts on bail charged for meth fuelled burglaries
An accused Bendigo crook who police allege committed a string of burglaries while on bail for a methed-up 220km/h joyride has been given another chance — despite his 'terrible history'.
Graeme Roberts, 28, made his second bid for bail at Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Thursday charged over several burglaries across central Victoria, including at a home in Marong and a BP service station in Rochester.
Roberts' fingerprints had been found at a number of crime scenes, the court previously heard.
He had also ratted out two associates he allegedly committed burglaries with in a bid to improve his chances of getting bail.
Detective Senior Constable Andy Matthews told the court Mr Roberts had been on bail at the time of the burglaries in relation to an alleged 220km/h police chase at Bridgewater in September last year, where he allegedly narrowly missed hitting a police officer at about 90km/h.
The court heard Mr Roberts was also on several counts of bail in relation to multiple alleged thefts, dishonesty and violence offences; allegedly using his own Facebook account to sell a stolen motorbike.
Detective Mathews told the court police had uncovered evidence of Roberts driving in a car with his pregnant partner while high on meth and committing petrol drive offs in Bendigo about the time he was alleged to have committed the string of burglaries.
The victim of the Marong burglary said she was 'very scared' that the offenders would return and that her children 'don't feel safe at home'.
Police urged the court to consider the 'welfare of victims who get their houses broken into' and argued if released, Roberts would immediately get back on drugs and drive dangerously.
Legal Aid barrister Karin Temperely argued Roberts should be released on CISP bail so he could undergo drug rehabilitation.
Ms Temperely said Roberts' partner had just had a baby which was motivation for him to turn his life around.
Magistrate Megan Aumair said the birth of his previous child had done nothing to slow him down.
'This is a very serious matter before the court. He is absolutely looking at a further term of imprisonment,' she said.
'There are a large number of outstanding matters that are very serious in nature that you were on bail for at the time of (allegedly) committing.'
Ms Aumair said she had 'very little doubt' Roberts would be sentenced to jail if he was found guilty of the charges before the court.
She said he had been given a number of opportunities to do community corrections orders designed to keep him out of custody – but he kept allegedly offending.
'It's time to grow up,' she said.
Despite the multiple bail breaches, dangerous drug driving alleged by police, she found he was not an unacceptable risk to the community and granted his bail.
She said if he breached one bail condition he would be remanded for 'months and months and months'.
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