Lavington man Trevor Wayne Kennedy aided by 12-week drug rehabilitation program

Long-time recidivist offender Trevor Wayne Kennedy's intimidation of the man, who managed to flee, was described as a "very serious example" of such an offence.

Kennedy was also facing sentence in Albury Local Court this week over a dangerous driving incident where he sped through East Albury in a stolen car then crossed a median strip and overtook a car at a red light.

Magistrate Sally McLaughlin told Kennedy, who had an "unenviable" criminal record, that if not for the substantial rehabilitation efforts he had made since his release on bail in April he would be going to jail.

Those efforts, addressing a severe methamphetamine addiction that had long driven his offending behaviour, included Kennedy completing a 12-week rehabilitation program.

Defence lawyer Dane Keenes said Kennedy had also been working with counsellors at the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service, and would continue down that path.

Ms McLaughlin told Kennedy he had "the potential to be a leader in the community" and to "lead men and women away from that life (of addiction and crime)".

"Unfortunately, I suspect the road ahead won't be easy," she said, given "the length of time methamphetamine has been in your life".

Ms McLaughlin pointed to a sentence assessment report carried out on Kennedy that highlighted how when using methamphetamine "you're out of control".

She said the up to 15 years Kennedy had spent behind bars "has not protected the community".

What would though, Ms McLaughlin said, was his rehabilitation.

MORE COURT STORIES

Kennedy was handed an aggregate jail term of 20 months, but Ms McLaughlin ordered that this be completed in the community by way of an intensive corrections order.

A condition of the order is that Kennedy continue to undertake counselling and other rehabilitation programs as directed by the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service.

The court heard previously how the victim of the intimidation had been sitting on a toilet seat in the bathroom of a unit at the Fountain Court Motor Inn talking to a female friend when three men burst in.

Kennedy, 39, of Jackling Drive, Lavington, was one of them, as was an unknown man wearing a motorcycle helmet.

Kennedy walked over to the victim, now 37, and lifted the man's black satchel over his head.

As he held the bag, Kennedy asked the victim: "What the f--- are you doing here?"

He grabbed the man by the shoulder and told him to come with them.

The man was marched out of the unit but managed to flee and get help, from staff at Albury's SS&A Club.

Kennedy previously pleaded guilty to stalking or intimidation over that incident from May 20, 2022, as well as to a second offence of driving while disqualified, drive a conveyance taken without consent of the owner and another second offence of drive recklessly, furiously or at a speed or manner dangerous.

The driving offences took place on June 8 when police identified Kennedy as the disqualified driver of a car stolen a few weeks' earlier.

They tried to catch up with the vehicle along several other streets in East Albury, with Kennedy at one point driving at 80kmh in the 60kmh zone of the Riverina Highway.

He stopped behind another car then accelerated across the median strip, overtaking the car and going through a red light.

Kennedy once ran a gang of juvenile thieves responsible for breaking into houses and stealing property valued at thousands of dollars.

In mid-2012, he was jailed for more than 10 years with a minimum of seven, allowing for his release in 2016.

He had gone on an alcohol-fuelled crime spree in 2011 as a modern-day Fagin, with teenage gang members under his direction and taking booty to his home in Glenroy.

Ms McLaughlin also disqualified Kennedy from driving for an additional 12 months.

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: