A Tasmanian man has been sentenced after making an unauthorised shopping trip, drinking rum and ignoring phone calls from authorities while serving a home detention order.
He was placed on a 12-month order in February for an assault committed in 2022, but Supreme Court Justice Helen Wood cancelled it last month following repeated breaches.
The court heard the violations began almost immediately.
On one occasion, when allowed to visit Glenorchy Central but being denied entry, he instead stopped at Northgate Shopping Centre for 45 minutes.
Similar detours were made during other approved outings around Glenorchy and New Town.
Police later found him drinking a can of Bundaberg Rum at home on February 19, returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.018.
Between February and March, he also ignored eight calls from community corrections officers.
He was arrested in March on unrelated matters and, in June, sentenced to six months in prison, with two months suspended.
Justice Wood described the breaches as “unimpressive” and showing a “failure to appreciate the very strict nature” of home detention.
“In my view, they are not wholesale breaches or the kind of breaches which show a contemptuous attitude to the sentencing order,” she said.
The order would have been cancelled regardless, she added, as the man no longer had a suitable address.
Justice Wood did note some compliance. He attended appointments and passed a drug test during his five weeks on the order.
“Despite his breaches of the order, there are positive indications that he is likely to be compliant with directions from community corrections,” Justice Wood said.
The man was resentenced to 11 months imprisonment, with nine months suspended, backdated to July.
He must also serve 18 months probation and avoid further offending.
