A Hobart teenager with a warrant out for his arrest gave police a fake name because he “did not want to get arrested that day”, the Supreme Court has heard.
Jye Cordwell, who was 18 at the time, initially mumbled his real name when arrested at Eastlands shopping centre on June 30, 2024, before claiming to be his cousin Josh.
He stuck with this false identity during processing and even signed police bail documents as “Josh”.
The lie quickly fell apart when Cordwell was re-arrested later that evening on unrelated matters and officers found the bail notice with the fake signature.
When questioned the next morning, Cordwell claimed he had originally given his real name but “just went along with it” after officers misheard him.
“You explained you could not handle remand, were stressing out and had heaps of stuff going on,” Justice Kate Cuthbertson said.
Cordwell spent 76 days in custody following the incident for a range of offences. It was his first experience in adult prison, which he found “very difficult”.
Justice Cuthbertson acknowledged that while the deception wasn’t “particularly sophisticated and was quickly discovered”, it was still a serious offence that typically results in prison time.
“Fortunately, in this case your lies did not result in anyone else being charged and it was discovered and resolved quite quickly,” she said.
“Your counsel tells me that you did not think police would believe you when you gave a false name because you have had so much contact with them in the past.”
“I am told you did not appreciate the seriousness of your conduct. I am quite sure you do now after spending some time in custody.”
Cordwell was sentenced to one month behind bars, suspended for 12 months. Justice Cuthbertson warned that “any offence” like shoplifting could trigger the suspended sentence.
