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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Toby Vue

Ex-RFS member sentenced for 'going off the rails' with ram raids

Jacob John Williams-Savage will spend at least another four years in jail after a crime spree in mid 2020. Picture: Facebook

An ex-RFS member has been sentenced to 8.5 years for running rampant during a five-day crime spree that a judge has described as "going completely off the rails".

Jacob John Williams-Savage appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday in relation to 30 offences in mid 2020.

Documents tendered to the court state in the early hours of April 13, he drove a stolen Toyota Echo to numerous Canberra businesses where he reversed into them in ram-raid burglaries.

The stores included three pharmacies, a furniture store, a gift shop and an automotive repair centre.

The 31 year old stole nearly $3000 worth of medications, including 11 boxes of Viagra, and 15 of diazepam.

For those incidents, he pleaded guilty to 18 charges, including burglary, property damage and stealing cars.

For other incidents between April 5 and 13 - which also included burglary, car theft, and property damage - Williams-Savage pleaded not guilty to all charges except for one driving offence.

MORE COURT AND CRIME NEWS

After a judge-alone trial, he was found guilty of all except one count of aggravated burglary and the theft of a Fiesta.

These offending included forced entry into a number of Dominos stores across Canberra where he used a crowbar and angle grinders.

In his sentencing remarks, Justice Mossop said the offender was "going completely off the rails" and that the crime spree was "an intense but confined period".

One of the ram raids that Williams-Savage committed. Picture: Supplied

He said the offending was aggravated because Williams-Savage was already serving a community-based court order at the time and that there was planning involved with the ram raids being "deliberate decisions".

The judge said deterrence for other people and the offender "must be a significant sentencing consideration".

With a non-parole period of four years and with the jail term being backdated to May last year, the offender will be eligible for parole in April 2024.

He was also automatically disqualified from holding a driver's licence for about 24 months.

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