A judge has told an Echuca man who wanted to appeal his sentence for property, drug and bail offences to count himself lucky he did not receive a harsher penalty.
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Cory Lusk, 27, was sentenced in the Echuca Magistrates' Court in December to two months' imprisonment and a 12-month community corrections for several charges of handling stolen goods, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime, possessing methamphetamine, possessing cartridge ammunition and committing an indictable offence on bail.
But he abandoned his appeal in the County Court in Bendigo after a warning from the judge.
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Police searched Lusk's home last June and found a car stolen from Deniliquin; stolen goods including power tools and a chainsaw; and a motorcycle suspected of having been stolen, as well as the drug ice.
He was charged and bailed to appear in court at a later date.
Then police again searched his home in November and found a ute, stolen the month before; a registration plate stolen in August 2017; a blower stolen in October; a tool bag stolen in October; power tools suspected to have been stolen; and a gun belt with 22 shotgun cartridges.
Lusk was again bailed.
But a third search in December uncovered more stolen goods, including a rubbish bin, power tools, a paint mixer and a whipper snipper.
Police also discovered two cheque books, stolen two days earlier, partially burned in a fire pit.
When interviewed by police, Lusk said the items were brought to his home by other people and he was powerless to stop them.
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Having heard the summary, Judge Michael Murphy told defence lawyer Markorius Habib he would "want to have good material".
Mr Habib said his client had remained offence-free and drug-free, and engaged with his GP since his release on bail on January 10.
Lusk was on strict bail conditions and had not breached them, Mr Habib said, which was "starkly different" to the period prior to December.
He said his client had no interactions with police before the age of 25, but the death of his grandmother in early 2017 precipitated ice use and subsequent offending.
Mr Habib submitted that the punitive element of sentencing was dealt with through the 29 days in custody his client had already served or community work, and the community corrections order would address mental health and drug issues.
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But Judge Murphy said the sentence Lusk received in the Magistrates' Court was a "merciful" one.
"That volume of stolen goods - there's multiple victims there, and he gets two months' imprisonment and a CCO on top of it," he said, issuing a warning if the appeal were to continue.
Lusk then decided to withdraw his appeal.
Addressing Lusk, Judge Murphy said he did not buy the idea someone else was leaving things at his home.
Judge Murphy said stealing tools and vehicles destroyed tradespeople's livelihoods.
He told Lusk to attend Corrections Victoria within two days to begin his community corrections order.
"This is your last opportunity," Judge Murphy said.
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