A HOMELESS man with a long criminal history has been jailed for five months after breaking into businesses in Portland during early January.
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Daniel Leggett, 37, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to 19 charges involving dishonesty and violence.
Police said that in the early hour of January 8 Leggett unsuccessfully tried to gain entry to a vacant shop in Percy Street, Portland.
He then went to the rear of Portland Seaview Real Estate office where he entered a shed and took items.
Leggett unsuccessfully attempted to break into a white van, causing about $1000 damage,
He then went to a nearby shed where he opened an unlocked roller door.
In the shed, he smashed the rear window of a small car, removing a circular saw and wood splitter, causing $500 damage.
He also forced entry to the Workskills shop and forensic tests located a hand print.
Leggett was arrested a couple of days later and said he had been looking for somewhere to sleep.
A watch, which was also a phone, was also located and the owner of the items said Leggett had visited her and stole things.
Power packs were also recovered from Leggett which were also suspected of being the proceeds of crime.
Other charges were committed in Geelong.
He pushed his then partner’s head into a brick wall in Geelong when she disturbed his sleep while they were squatting in a building and punched her to the face.
The victim suffered abrasions.
Later the same day in September last year he damaged a car after kicking and punching the vehicle.
The month before he stole items valued at $879 from three shops in Geelong - Office Works, Coles and My Chemist.
He was arrested and the goods recovered.
Police searches at different times located two lots of cannabis on him and a 30 centimetre machete in a backpack.
Defence counsel Jessica Tinetti said her client’s offending had snowballed, it was not sophisticated, he had been under the influence of drugs and had not been particularly successful.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose said Leggett had a long criminal history involving violence, drugs and dishonesty.
He was jailed for five months, with 56 days counted as already served and fined $500 for possessing the drugs.