A Kiewa man linked to a series of burglaries across the region has been bailed to a rehabilitation centre. The 28-year-old was scheduled to appear at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Monday, but defence counsel Geoff Clancy told the court his client was in residential rehab after being released by Magistrate Victoria Campbell last Tuesday, 2 December. Magistrate Campbell had initially denied the 28-year-old’s release from prison in his first bail application before the court on 24 November. The man is facing multiple charges involving burglary, theft, vehicle damage, handling of stolen goods, and drug possession. He was taken into custody on 19 November after rolling his white Ford Courier utility on Oxley Flats Road near Wangaratta about 4:35am. He was taken to hospital in a stable condition with lower body injuries while he allegedly told police he “wouldn’t be surprised” if drugs were found in his system. A search warrant was executed at the man’s temporary Gapsted address following his arrest on 19 November. His arrest followed a series of alleged burglaries and offending spanning the Wangaratta, Benalla, Yarrawonga and Bright areas over the past few months. Mr Clancy said his client had relapsed into drugs, which had caused the alleged offending. The man will return to court at Frankston on 3 February before Magistrate Campbell to assess his rehabilitation progress before returning to Wangaratta court.
