A mother has penned a letter to a magistrate describing her heartbreak over the loss of her drug-addicted son's "kind heart and beautiful soul".
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Jack Neave, 22, of Laverock Road, appeared in Warrnambool Magistrates Court after a police raid at his home uncovered 100 cannabis seeds, 0.5 grams of amphetamine, two shotgun rounds, personal papers and cards believed to be stolen from a vehicle and a $400 tool box stolen during a break-in at a Rooneys Road plastering business.
As part of a bail application, the magistrate read a letter from Mr Neave's mother Natasha, who pleaded for help for her "very troubled son", whom she said had lost his beautiful soul and kind heart to drugs, crime and depression.
The letter said Ms Neave would rather her son be in prison than on the streets.
She said Mr Neave had a newborn child, was clean from drugs when he was in jail and desperately needed to leave the "town that let him survive as a drug addict".
Ms Neave urged the magistrate to consider mandatory rehabilitation, stating that if her son was well he would be a perfect father.
Mr Neave cried in the dock as he heard his mother's powerful words.
Magistrate Ann McGarvie told the accused his mother was clearly at her wit's end and was "heartbroken by what drugs have done to you".
She said mandatory rehabilitation was not an option and remanded him in custody until September 9.
Mr Neave was arrested on July 17 and charged with handling stolen goods, possessing amphetamine, possessing a drug of dependence, possessing cannabis, possessing cartridge ammunition and deal with property believed to be proceeds of crime.
At the time of the offending he was on two community corrections order for possessing a drug of dependence, failing an oral fluid test and driving while disqualified.
Warrnambool police Senior Constable Joe Fischer said Mr Neave was an unemployed drug addict who told police he sometimes had "upwards of a dozen people approach him about drugs".
Mr Neave told the court he had been drug-free in the three weeks since his daughter was born and that he was "on the road to straight and narrow".
The magistrate said it was highly likely Mr Neave would be sentenced to a term of imprisonment at a later date.
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