‘Danger to society’

Reputed thief Victor Michael Sylvester Hobbs will spend the next five years at HMP Dodds for going on a year-long burglary spree involving 13 houses.

The 52-year-old, of no fixed place of abode, whom Magistrate Douglas Frederick labeled as a danger to society began burglarising houses in the Christ Church area from February last year as well loitering and trespassing with intent to commit theft at several others.

Sergeant St Clair Phillips said in all the burglaries Hobbs pounced when the complainants, some of them visitors, were not at home.

Between February 28 and December 29, 2018 he entered the homes of Norman Inniss, Eva Pragnell, Rosanne Nicholls, Grady Clarke and Arlene Ross and stole jewelry and cash worth $9,940.

Hobbs’ criminal enterprise spilled over into 2019 starting on January 8 and came to an end on March 31 when he entered the homes of Jean Thurton; Agnes Adams; Zamala Ali; Steven Kern; Laurilta Voss; and Adrian Lyszkouski again stealing jewelry and cash in several currencies valued over $7,300.

He also entered the home of Marc White as a trespasser on March 24 and that of Ralph Richards on January 11, 2019 with intent to commit theft and being a reputed thief he loitered on the premises of Four Square Rockley Resort with intent to commit an arrestable offence on March 31, 2019.

Hobbs wasted little time in pleading guilty to the 14 charges after the magistrate read them and was also quick in requesting help.

“I begging for a little help because I’am on drugs, cocaine for about two years, from the time I came out of jail in 2017,” the man who is known to the law courts told the magistrate.

“This is a dangerous thing that you are doing breaking into people’s homes. You are a danger to society,” Magistrate Frederick said before informing Hobbs that the help he needed could only be given in a structured environment.

He then imposed six-month consecutive sentences on nine of the charges and six-month concurrent sentences on the remaining five with an order that Hobbs undergo drug rehabilitation while at HMP Dodds.