A Tasmanian man who terrorised a stranger in his own home during a robbery has been given “one last chance” to turn his life around through a court-ordered drug treatment program.
Christopher David Jenkins, 38, was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Tasmania for aggravated robbery and burglary at a property in December 2021.
Justice Tamara Jago handed him a two-year custodial sentence but suspended it, meaning Jenkins will avoid prison if he meets strict conditions, including drug rehabilitation and regular testing.
The court heard Jenkins and co-offender Brendan Stubbs broke into the victim’s home on December 5, 2021, intending to steal cannabis but also believing the man had sexually exploited a young woman.
“You started demanding firearms from the garage and also demanded marijuana plants. You started threatening the complainant and you were swearing at him,” Justice Jago said.
Jenkins became increasingly erratic, accusing the victim of being a paedophile and threatening to shoot him with an air rifle.
He stole two firearms, cannabis, a CCTV hard drive and $50 in cash.
“The complainant described you as ‘going off your head, jumping about and threatening me’,” Justice Jago said.
“He described your behaviour as ‘absolutely crazy … as aggressive as I’ve ever seen’.”
Jenkins returned the firearms the next day after realising his accusations were false but returned three days later to commit another burglary at the same address.
The victim now lives in constant fear, the court heard, having installed 15 security cameras which he checks obsessively.
“His home, in a quiet bush setting, was once a place of peace for him, but he now lives in fear that he will be subject to further intrusion and violence, given the isolation of his premises,” Justice Jago said.
Despite Jenkins’ long criminal history, stretching back to age 15, the judge said his recent attempts at rehabilitation justified one last chance.
“You should be under no illusion however Mr Jenkins, that this was a very finely balanced determination,” she said.
“It is an outcome that might be seen as somewhat lenient, but I think that you should be given one last chance, particularly given the positive steps that you were able to undertake throughout 2022.”
“I make it very clear to you, however, that if you do not grasp this opportunity, you should not expect any further leniency.”
