A PORTLAND fisherman who refused to turn up in court to have criminal charges finalised has been jailed for seven weeks.
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Aaron Williams, 25, of Wattle Crescent, pleaded guilty to four charges of failing to answer bail in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court.
He was resentenced on other matters and a previously suspended 21-day jail term was activated.
Williams was jailed for one month and 21 days with five days counted as already served.
Portland police arrested Williams on warrants last weekend after he failed to appear in court numerous times charged with theft of a car, handling stolen goods, having an unregistered trailer, possessing ice and possessing suspected stolen goods.
Williams said he had been working on a Portland trawler and had gone “cold turkey” off drugs.
He was resentenced on charges including stalking, failing to answer bail, failing to report an accident and possessing stolen goods after breaching a corrections order.
Magistrate Peter Mellas said that in September last year Williams asked for an opportunity to complete a CCO and reports indicated the defendant had a brain injury caused by either an assault or his drug use.
He said that opportunity given to Williams had not led to a successful outcome.
"You've tried to deal with drug issues yourself. It's time to finalise matters. There are problems you need to deal with," Mr Mellas told Williams.
"You are now back with your partner whom you have caused harm to over the years. I don't believe you are in a position to complete a corrections order."
The magistrate also adjourned a charge of being the owner of a dog which attacked to a contest mention hearing on August 21.
Defence counsel Belinda Northey told the court that during his period of offending Williams had been using up to 17 points of ice a day.
She said he got off that addiction by going cold turkey working on a trawler but that work meant he missed court dates although he had always handed himself in to police until his arrest last Sunday.
Ms Northey said other factors included Williams' best friend taking his own life while he was out at sea .
She said that friend had been a great assistance to Williams when he previously tried to take his own life and her client was struggling to come with not being around to help his friend.
She said in the same week another of Williams' friends had been killed in a car accident.