Geraldton burglary ‘third striker’ gets mandatory two-year jail term

A Geraldton man who broke into a Tarcoola Beach property and stole power tools last August has received a mandatory two-year jail sentence under WA’s home burglary “third strike” legislation. Zachariah John Littlewood, 35, was sentenced in Geraldton Magistrate’s Court on Monday after pleading guilty to eight charges including home burglary and two counts of stealing. On the afternoon of August 16, Littlewood smashed a kitchen window to gain entry to a Hakea Street property before making off with an electric drill, angle grinder, circular saw and battery pack, the court heard. He was granted bail in February, having convinced a magistrate he had to arrange a carer for his elderly parents before serving what was to be a minimum two years behind bars. He then became the subject of an arrest warrant after failing to appear in court on April 20. Littlewood was arrested on May 11 at a Tarcoola Beach home and charged with breach of bail and obstructing police. Officers found him “hiding under a doona, down the side of a bed,” police prosecutor Sen. Const. Beau Jones said. “He claimed he was going to hand himself in ... As police tried to put handcuffs on him, he physically resisted and struggled.” Sen. Const. Jones said Littlewood served two years jail in 2014 for a burglary on a dwelling, and that personal deterrence ought to “loom large” in sentencing. Magistrate Chris Miocevich imposed the minimum sentence, backdated by 87 days, and made Littlewood eligible for parole. “Unfortunately for you, anytime you commit an offence on a house — a burglary — you’re going to receive a minimum two years, and that’s what I’m going to impose,” he said. Littlewood also received a “nominal” $50 fine for stealing a $50 bottle of whiskey from Queens Cellarbrations last September.