“One of the worst offences we have to deal with”: Man given 10-month supervision order for home burglary

A man has been given a 10-month supervision order for his role in an aggravated home burgulary in Pemberton, along with a $1500 fine and nine-month disqualification from driving after an unrelated incident. Scott James Hawkins, 29, faced the Manjimup Magistrates Courthouse on Thursday, accused of stealing and aggravated home burglary relating to a theft in Pemberton on September 15 and 16, as well as a driving with a suspended license and unlicensed vehicle incident on November 9. The court was told that between 10pm on September 15 and 1am on September 16, Hawkins and co-accused Bryden Martin O’Breza jumped a fence into the backyard of a holiday home on Forestry Glen, Pemberton, before breaking into a shed in the backyard. They both took two fishing rods, a large mirror and an axe, storing the items in a shed next door where the two were staying, before re-entering the backyard. They then forced the rear door to the house open and entered to steal more items, with the property stolen being valued at $600. The owner of the property reported the burglary later that day after returning home at 11.30am. The court was told Hawkins said his role was as a “follower”, but he accepted responsibility for his part and hoped to address his issues with alcohol, having been heavily drinking before the incident. Magistrate Stephen Butcher admonished Hawkins’ role in the burglary, saying the act was “one of the worst offences we have to deal with in this court” and an “invasion of privacy” and he could consider a term of imprisonment for the crime. Hawkins was given a 10-month supervision order for the charges of aggravated home burglary and stealing. O’Breza was fined $4000 by Magistrate Benjamin Tyers in October for his role in the burglary. Hawkins was also in court for an unrelated incident on November 9, when he was stopped by police after driving an unlicensed vehicle and causing smoke or excessive noise with no authority to drive due to a suspended license. The court heard Hawkins was driving a Ford Falcon along Jamieson Street in Pemberton when police stopped him at 3am. Police found the vehicle was unlicensed and Hawkins’ license had been suspended since November 16, 2021. The court was told the vehicle was being used to make burnouts, creating excessive noise and leaving substances on the road. Hawkins pleaded guilty to the no authority to drive and using an unlicensed vehicle on a road charges. He was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for nine months. But he pleaded not guilty to the causing smoke, excessive noise or left substance on the driving surface of a length of road charges and will appear in court again on January 25.