The son of infamous criminal Mark “Chopper” Read has pleaded guilty to dozens of gun, drug and theft charges in Hobart Magistrates Court.
24-year-old Charles Vincent Read initially pleaded not guilty to 58 charges but later changed his plea to 49 of them, hoping to be eligible for a court-mandated diversion program.
Read is currently in custody and will undergo an assessment for eligibility for a drug diversion program, which offers treatment instead of immediate jail time for offenders with drug issues.
The charges against Read include evading police, burglary, drug possession, possession of unregistered firearms, driving while disqualified and assaulting a police officer.
He maintains a not guilty plea for a charge of aggravated assault, which is not eligible for diversion, and will face a separate court hearing for this in November.
Read is also yet to enter a plea to several related offenses, including aggravated burglary.
Mark “Chopper” Read passed away in 2013 and was the subject of a 2000 film based on his criminal life and time in prison.
