A 20-YEAR-OLD ice addict with ADHD, a “borderline IQ” and “countless” prior convictions has been jailed for a king hit that left a 15-year-old with $15,000 worth of dental repairs.
Michael Strojan, formerly of Elliot Crt, Whittington, pleaded guilty to various offences including recklessly causing injury, burglary, assault with a weapon and dangerous driving.
Strojan sat hunched and chewing gum behind his lawyer, wearing tracksuit pants, a T-shirt and runners, next to his girlfriend with bright pink hair and ripped white jeans.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable David Vanderpol said Strojan punched the boy without provocation near McDonald’s, in Ryrie St, Geelong, at 3.45pm on 20 August.
The boy and his friend were waiting at traffic lights when Strojan attacked.
“The co-accused yelled out ‘What are you guys staring at?’, to which they replied ‘Nothing’. The accused stared the victim in the face and punched him to the right side of his mouth,” Snr Const Vanderpol told the court.
The victim said in a statement: “As a result of being king hit for no apparent reason I am uncomfortable returning to Geelong for fear this may be repeated”.
Defence lawyer Caetlyn Wells-Simon said Strojan was “coming down off ice” when the boys walked past.
“Much of his offending is without thought or premeditation.”
On 22 September Strojan attended uninvited a birthday party in Belmont where he “waved a Stanley knife around party-goers” after a fight broke out, Snr Const Vanderpol told the court.
Ms Wells-Simon said Strojan also blamed his ice addiction for a Whittington burglary on 23 September, in which he stole $200 in gold coins, a mobile phone and a digital camera.
He stole a Westfield Geelong employee’s iPhone the following day.
Strojan fled police trying to intercept his vehicle about 5pm on 2 December, hitting speeds over 100km/h in a 50km/h zone on Western Beach Rd.
The vehicle was unregistered, fitted with a false South Australian number plate and Strojan had “never held a licence”, the court heard.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan said youth justice had “apparently not been successful” for Strojan previously.
Mr Coghlan sentenced Strojan to 15 months’ jail with eight months non-parole.