A MAN who assaulted and robbed five people during a 90-minute drunken crime spree told a psychiatrist "that stuff happens when I get drunk" and said he had consumed alcohol that day to "see what would happen".
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Lynden Tony Biles, now 26, was "very intoxicated" on November 17 last year when he embarked on a series of unprovoked and random attacks on strangers.
"How are we supposed to be reducing the number of Indigenous people in custody when things like this take place where you've got five people variously assaulted and robbed all in a short period of time and all because Mr Biles is completely intoxicated," Judge Ellis said. "That is the real conundrum.
"There are too many Aboriginal people in custody. But what is the solution? Two sets of laws? You can't go out in the community and do what this man did. A woman in a shop, he attacks her and chokes her and she thinks that she is dead and he doesn't seem to care."
Biles attitude about his drinking, his unwillingness to admit he had a problem or seek assistance and his lack of remorse or recognition of the suffering of the victims was troubling, Judge Roy Ellis said.
He pleaded guilty to four offences, including aggravated robbery and on Friday was jailed for a maximum of four-and-a-half years, with a non-parole period of two-and-a-half years.
"It is a lot less than I would have given him had he not been an Indigenous man, who... unlike others who commit offences of this type has a reduced moral culpability because of his background. "The court of law cannot solve all the problems associated with Indigenous people in our community. "The court cannot change to any great degree the ratio of incarceration rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals. "But the sentence I am about to impose does reflect a significant amelioration of what would otherwise be a far harsher penalty."
A man, 30, had just got out of his car in Broadmeadow about 1pm on November 17 when Biles approached, demanded money and grabbed him around the neck. Biles pushed him to the ground and sat on top of him so the man couldn't move, telling him: "I have a knife, I am dangerous. Don't look at my face." Biles stole his phone and other items and 20 minutes later he walked into a grocery store nearby where he went up behind a woman, 44, put his hand over her face and nose and pushed her to the ground.
"The woman couldn't breathe and felt like she was being suffocated," Judge Ellis said. "She was terrified and thought the offender was going to mug and kill her."
Biles fled when the woman managed to scream for help.
About 2.30pm that day, Biles was in Mayfield when he jumped into the front seat of a parked car and began assaulting a man inside.
He demanded money, punched the man in the face and then swung a punch at another man who tried to intervene. He also laughed and honked the horn.
The police arrived and Biles fled into Thomas Street where he was arrested and spat into the face of a male constable.