A man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to being a part of an “unsophisticated” car-stealing ring that took five vehicles from a John Hughes dealership.
Garth Donovan Dickson, 30, appeared via video link from Hakea Prison in the Perth Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing methamphetamine, stealing and five charges of stealing a motor vehicle.
The court was told Dickson was one of five who stole the cars and a car trailer from a John Hughes dealership for their own personal use.
One of the cars was found soon after it was stolen, and then another car was discovered missing after a stock take, prompting an investigation.
During sentencing, Dickson’s lawyer said the plan was “unsophisticated.”
The car Dickson was using for himself still had the original number plates on it when he was pulled over by police.
All of the vehicles were recovered.
In an unrelated theft, Hughes had his black VW GTI Golf stolen from the garage of his Mosman Park home in July last year, prompting him to offer a $10,000 reward to catch the culprits.
Dickson had already spent three months in prison when he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.
He was also fined $300 for the methamphetamine charge and ordered to pay $136 in costs.
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