A man who "went on a mini crime spree" as a result of taking LSD, was sentenced to a two-year intensive corrections order, fined a total of $660, disqualified for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours community service.
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Zac Allan Dutka of Bowman Street, Gulgong, pleaded guilty in Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday to charges of; entering a house and stealing; taking and driving a vehicle without consent of the owner; driving recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous; destroy/damage property; and assault.
At about 7am, on Sunday, September 22, 2019, a witness in White Circle, Mudgee, saw the then-19-year-old enter the house across the street. A short time later he exited and drove away in one of the cars parked at the location.
In doing so, he spun the wheels which woke one of the victims. The keys and a wallet - the latter was later found in the car - were both taken from the house and the police were called.
Another witness, in Bellevue Road, heard and then saw the vehicle driving erratically in a new estate nearby. It was noted that a tyre was flat.
A resident of Inglis Street heard scraping then banging on their door and looked outside to see the car in their yard. Dutka walked back to the vehicle and kicked a door, causing a dent.
A neighbour came out to check on the noise and saw Dutka attempting to enter their car. When they yelled out to him he ran away to McDonalds.
There he came across a member of the household that he'd taken the vehicle from, who'd attempted to locate him on a motorbike. Dutka pushed them twice and walked off, then the residents of Inglis Street arrived and flagged down police who were in the vicinity.
Officers noted that he appeared to be under the influence of a drug. And after his state improved, he confirmed that he'd taken LSD.
In court, the defendant gave evidence that he had no recollection of the incident, but he accepts responsibility for his actions - which he said "shocked and disgusted" him, once he was made aware of what occurred the first time he took the drug.
And his solicitor, Mr Williams, said his intoxication wasn't an excuse, but does explain why someone with no prior record "went on a mini crime spree".
Magistrate David Day accepted the submission that there was no planning on the part of Dutka, and said, "the only planning was that he was conducting an interesting experiment on his brain".
"You admit [when giving evidence] you've dabbled in MDMA, or ecstasy, and perhaps thought the effect would be the same - it isn't, LSD is a powerful hallucinogen," his honour told the defendant.
In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Day said, "general deterrence looms large, because breaking into houses and stealing cars needs to be denounced".
