A registered sex offender has been jailed for at least 18 months after pleading guilty to crimes that included supplying a drug to a child, possessing child abuse material, and offences related to a serious crash.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Luke Hayden-Brooks, 29, was sentenced in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court to two and a half years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 18 months in relation to offending in 2018 and 2019.
On August 3 last year, Hayden-Brooks was caught driving an unregistered vehicle while unlicensed after he failed to indicate while turning left.
Just two days later, Hayden-Brooks was riding an unregistered motorcycle on Church Street in Kangaroo Flat, going an estimated 100 km/h in the 50 km/h.
A four-wheel-drive stopped to turn and Hayden-Brooks - who was carrying a passenger on the bike - tried to veer around the vehicle but ran into its rear.
A witness reported hearing a screech before seeing two people in the air.
The bike hit the vehicle with such force that it spun it around.
More court news: Former Bendigo doctor charged with raping pregnant woman
The passenger suffered a broken jaw, but Hayden-Brooks sustained multiple broken bones and a brain injury, lost sight in one eye, and came out with only 45 per cent sight in the other eye.
He was found to have had methamphetamine and cannabis in his system.
Then in April this year, Hayden-Brooks struck up contact with a 15-year-old girl and invited her over to take cannabis.
He supplied cannabis to her on four occasions.
Between April and May, he was in daily contact with the girl and police found multiple messages from Hayden-Brooks asking the girl to come over and smoke cannabis.
On Hayden-Brooks' phone police found 10 images of the girl in an app called Secure Folder, six of which were explicit.
He was already a registered sex offender and failed to report contact with a child, as per his obligations.
Hayden-Brooks pleaded guilty to reckless conduct endangering serious injury, two counts of driving an unregistered vehicle, driving with drugs in his system, driving unlicensed, failing to indicate before turning, possessing child exploitation material, supplying a drug of dependence to a child, and failing to comply with his reporting obligations as a registered sex offender.
More court news: Boy faces court over alleged arson
The court heard a pre-sentence psychological report determined Hayden-Brooks had underdeveloped cognitive functioning and expressed impulsive behaviours.
Defence lawyer Luke Docherty said his client's history in residential care had not allowed him to develop pro-social behaviours.
Mr Docherty said Hayden-Brooks needed the supports parole offered, and as such required as much time on parole as possible.
He also said there was a significant utilitarian benefit to his client's guilty plea.
The psychological report found that the limited support Hayden-Brooks received following the crash might have contributed to the circumstances of his offending against the girl.
In sentencing, Ms Leighfield said she took into account Hayden-Brooks' health issues and his background, which included time in care and an introduction to drugs at an early age.
She said there were a number of factors that influenced his "violent and interpersonal exploitative behaviours".
But he was at high risk of reoffending in a similar manner, Ms Leighfield said, and he had low prospects of rehabilitation if he continued using drugs.
She said he needed a lot of support upon his release.
Hayden-Brooks had already served 203 days of his 36-month sentence.
His licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for four years.
He remains on the sex offenders register for life.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.