By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A FORMER jockey who was wanted for outstanding warrants and found by police hiding in a bedroom cupboard in Kooweerup has been bailed on his “last chance”.
At a bail hearing on Monday 21 September, Jamie Ronald Dentith, 42, faced charges including burglary and theft.
He was accused of stealing mobile phones, cameras, handbags, a digital tablet, portable hard drive and luggage valued at $4505 in a Cranbourne West home burglary on 12 May while he was on bail and a community corrections order.
Four days later, he allegedly stole from a Cranbourne North supermarket and drove a car without registration plates while he was disqualified.
Dentith had said he “more than likely” exchanged the stolen goods with dealers for drugs or cash, according to a police bail summary.
There were also two warrants for Dentith’s arrest for failing to appear at court while on bail for charges including theft of a motor vehicle, unlicensed driving and trafficking prescribed drugs in July.
A woman, whose Kooweerup home Dentith was found in on 16 September, told the court she believed he’d been drug free since residing with her, her husband and four children from 18 May.
Prior to his stay, Dentith had contacted her in tears and “quite a bit of distress”, she said.
“He wanted to get his life back on track.
“My husband and I don’t do drugs of any sort. I felt he needed us.”
By agreement, she took charge of Dentith’s access to his bank card, cleared his phone contacts and took him to a chemist for daily suboxone treatment.
She told the court Dentith had been confined to the house, where each day he fed and worked 22 horses, cooked and tutored the couple’s children while she and her husband ran a frantic home business.
He had no access to vehicles, other than when driven by her or her husband.
“He’s been clean four months and doing fantastic,” the witness told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
She was unaware of two court dates that Dentith had skipped in July, resulting in warrants for his arrest.
Defence lawyer Helen Murphy said Dentith had a lengthy break in offending between 2000 and 2010 before receiving two suspended sentences, a good-behaviour bond and most recently two corrections orders with pre-sentence detention.
“For four months he’s been abstinent from illicit drugs and his offending was tied up with drug use.
“The risk of him reoffending is lower because he’s not using illicit drugs.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen remarked on how healthy Dentith looked.
“I’ve had the opportunity of seeing you off and on for the past 18 months.
“There’s been occasions when your mental health has been very poor.
“I have to agree this is the last chance you’ve got to manage your drug and mental health issues.”
Mr Vandersteen said Dentith had re-offended on bail “more than once” and was likely to face a jail term for the May burglary and thefts.
He granted bail on the strength of the Kooweerup witness’s evidence, his stable accommodation and treatment options.
Dentith’s bail conditions included tri-weekly reporting to police, not to leave Victoria, reporting to the therapeutic CREDIT bail program, a night curfew and a ban on using drugs of dependence.
Dentith was bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 19 October.
