Bevan Barden, 38, of Galloway Street, appeared in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court for stealing a wheelchair and trying to smuggle ice and Suboxone into custody. He pleaded guilty to theft, failing to appear on bail, committing a serious offence on bail, attempting to introduce drugs to a police jail and two counts of possessing drugs.

A magistrate warned Barden to rethink how he should help his brothers.

Both his brothers, Tim and Robert Barden, are currently in jail and extremely well known to police. 

Until this week, Bevan Barden had not appeared in court. On January 30 this year he took a wheelchair from the Terang hospital after going there to get painkillers.

On April 4 he hid ice and Suboxone in the waistband of pants provided to his brother by his brother’s girlfriend.

When interviewed by police, Barden said he thought he would send a “little package” to his brother to help out as he knew he would be withdrawing from drugs.

Defence counsel Verena Tan said both offences were impulsive and stupid.