A CARPENTER Rocks man who breached his bond has been ordered to complete a rehabilitation program after developing a methamphetamine addiction and will face the court again in December.
Codey Bryce Von Stanke, 28, appeared at the Mount Gambier District Court on Thursday for an application of enforcement of a breached bond.
The defendant’s defence counsel said Von Stanke entered an 18-month good behaviour bond on April 11, 2018.
The court heard Von Stanke failed to comply with correction service officers, reportedly not attending reports several times this year including April 17, May 1, June 19, July 17, 24 and 25.
The defence counsel argued Von Stanke had, in a sense, served 12 months of an 18-month sentence.
“Von Stanke developed a meth addiction six to seven months ago when last year’s fishing season ended,” he said.
“This is a new problem and he was not receiving any drug treatment as it was not previously an issue.”
The court heard the addiction was spurred on by a tradesperson who was undergoing maintenance on Von Stanke’s property in Carpenter Rocks.
The defence counsel said the tradesperson had a meth addiction and Von Stanke started to use when the maintenance work was under way.
“The defendant said it only took a few occurrences (to become) addicted,” the defence said.
The court heard Von Stanke’s family and friends took his addiction into their own hands, leading to rehabilitation interstate.
The defence counsel said Von Stanke was unable to leave the state without permission, claiming his parents were worried he was ‘spiraling’ and made the decision.
The court heard Von Stanke was “brutally assaulted” by three people in August this year.
The defence counsel said the assault saw Von Stanke be held at gunpoint and hit with knuckle-dusters which lead to hospitalisation.
He said Von Stanke did not report the matter to police and instead said he fell off a bike.
“I believe the injuries were quite significant,” the defence counsel said.
The defence counsel said Von Stanke’s rehabilitation demonstrated a supportive network of family and friends which surrounded him.
“His family has a successful business which he has been banned from until he can prove he can stay clean,” he said.
“He has been to my office in tears and has said he is a burden to his family.
“He is in a relationship with a women who has a five-year-old child … there are motivating factors for him to free himself of addition.”
Judge Sydney Tilmouth said it would not have been hard for the family to ring or send a letter to correctional services to let them know Von Stanke was travelling interstate.
“They might not have been happy but at least they would have known,” Judge Tilmouth said.
The court heard Von Stanke had two of his cousins enter imprisonment sentences in March this year and another in August.
The Department of Public Prosecution said Von Stanke took it upon himself to leave the state without notification and failed to comply with correctional service officers on multiple occasions.
Judge Tilmouth ordered Von Stanke to be placed on a two-month drug rehabilitation program until the matter is revisited in court during December.
