A Geelong man who snatched a mobile phone from a baby while armed with a knife during a shocking crime spree has been sentenced to five years behind bars.
Tristan Smith, 22, used stolen keys to enter a Corio home where he barged into a woman’s bedroom before demanding her 18-month-old daughter hand over the phone she was holding.
Smith appeared via video link from Melbourne’s Metropolitan Remand Centre on Wednesday where he faced several charges including theft, attempted aggravated carjacking, damaging property and aggravated burglary.
He sat with his arms crossed and only spoke once. “Yep,” he said, to confirm he could hear proceedings
Smith had only been out on bail for 10 days and was subject to a community corrections order when he launched a shocking crime spree in August 2020.
His crime spree started when he stole a push-start Toyota Camry from the front of a home in Norlane.
The carjacking victim, who had trouble speaking English, called his friend who contacted authorities.
The man’s friend left his Corio home to help, leaving the front door unlocked.
The court was told Smith was unable to start the stolen Camry after turning it off because he didn’t have the keys, so he and an accomplice returned to the Norlane home to get the keys.
Smith got out of his friend’s BMW armed with a knife and demanded the man hand over his car keys. He also smashed the front window of the home.
He then got into the other man’s car before stealing some paperwork which had the man’s address on it.
They then drove to the man’s Corio home.
It was there that Smith entered the home before barging into a bedroom where a 23-year-old woman was sleeping with her two daughters.
Smith, armed with a knife in his right hand, demanded an iPhone which being held by her 18-month-old daughter.
When the little girl didn’t respond he snatched it from her hands and stolexjmtzyw two iPads before fleeing the scene.
Smith spotted police carrying out a warrant at another Corio address later that day prompting him to flee on foot.
He was then seen running through nearby school grounds before he was arrested by police. A knife was found at the scene.
The court was told Smith confessed to his crime spree.
“Yeah. Look, I did it alright. I did everything. I just don’t want my missus to know. I don’t want her involved,” he told the officer.
County Court Judge Gerard Mullaly on Wednesday described Smith’s crimes as “frightening and brazen”.
“You confronted a vulnerable woman in her bed,” he said.
“(Your crimes showed) a cynical and frightening side to your personality.”
Smith was also re-sentenced on a series of charges to which he was handed a 10 months sentence and community corrections order in June 2020.
Judge Mullaly said the breach of his CCO must be taken into account when considering his sentence.
He said he had considered a range of factors and needed to give weight to rehabilitation given Smith’s age.
“There are still prospects you will come good,” he told the court.
Smith, who has already spent more than 500 days behind bars, was sentenced to five years with a non-parole period of two years and eight months.
