A MOUNT Gambier man who stole a motorcycle from Port MacDonnell and crashed into a car at the city’s main corner will be assessed for a drug treatment program.
Joshua Mathusalem, 27, appeared via video-link in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to all the charges related to the drug-fuelled joyride.
Defence counsel asked for Mathusalem to be assessed for the treatment intervention court program before being sentenced for the offences.
Magistrate Teresa Anderson was favourable of the submission, but said the defendant had to be honest about his drug problem.
Mathusalem told the court he had used cannabis a few days prior and withdrawals led to the offending, but denied using methamphetamine.
Magistrate Anderson was sceptical.
“I would suggest the offending was more consistent with ice use than it was with cannabis,” Magistrate Anderson said.
On October 8, Mathusalem was wearing no helmet and travelling approximately 100kph when he ran a red light and crashed the motorcycle at the city’s main street intersection around 12.30pm.
He was charged by police with several traffic offences and theft at the Mount Gambier Hospital, before falling unconscious.
Mathusalem was flown urgently to Flinders Medical Centre, where he was placed in an induced coma.
He eventually regained consciousness and has since been held in custody for the offending.
Magistrate Anderson agreed to have Mathusalem assessed for the program, however he is not likely to be assessed until December due to backlogs.
The program runs for six months and defendants can receive credit for successfully completing the program when they are sentenced.
