Man handed suspended sentence for 23 charges including theft of $60,000 worth of equipment

A man who stole a vehicle and trailer containing $60,000 of equipment to assist people with disabilities has been spared immediate jail time, despite torching the stolen goods near the Geraldton speedway. Brady Derek Fertch, 27, was sentenced in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon after previously pleading guilty to a string of 23 charges related to the theft of goods belonging to Ultimate Watersports. Fertch has spent more than 902 days in custody in remand over the two terms according to his defence lawyer, Julie Gray. Fertch stole the goods on April 6, 2022, including a silver Mitsubishi Pajero and trailer containing $60,000 worth of mobility assistance equipment from the Francis Street car park near the Batavia Motor Inne. Among the stolen goods was an eFoil board worth $10,000. Fertch attached the trailer to a car and climbed over the passenger seat and centre console to sit in the driver’s seat. The event was captured on CCTV in which Fertch was said to have been wearing very distinctive clothing. Ms Gray said her client was “entrenched in addiction” and was a user of methylamphetamine. “He expresses he was doing well but finds it difficult to report for bail due to changing case managers,” she said. The Webberton man is a father to a one-month-old and an 18-month-old. “He is prepared to go to rehab if he is released but wants time with his children first, as he wants to be a better father,” Ms Gray said. The defence lawyer said Fertch had previously obtained his coxswain’s license and worked in fishing in tourism through connections with his family in Geraldton and Jurien Bay. Magistrate Matthew Walton told Fertch: “You have the full opportunity to work for a living which is a protective favour,” Magistrate Matthew Walton told Fertch. “You have that benefit but you’ve elected to commit this broad, unrelenting spree of offending.” Fertch was handed a seven-month prison sentence suspended for 10 months, accompanied by a global fine of $2000.