Jamie Phillip Mongoo: Burglar sentenced to more than two years in prison after touching child during break-in

A Geraldton man who broke into a Strathalbyn family home and whispered into the ear of an eight-year-old girl as he touched her has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. Jamie Phillip Mongoo, 33, appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court on May 22 from custody via video link, to be sentenced for 27 charges including home burglary, stealing, trespass and gaining benefit by fraud. On June 2, Mongoo entered a home in the Geraldton suburb of Strathalbyn through an unlocked back door, before entering the young child’s room. Mongoo climbed up a ladder to the child’s bed and rubbed her back, as the young girl woke finding Mongoo touching her arm. The victim asked Mongoo “who are you?” and repeatedly said: “Stop, you’re scaring me. Go away.” After backing off, Mongoo climbed back up the ladder to again whisper in her ear with the girl repeating her cries: “Stop it, you’re scaring me. Go away.” Mongoo then left the house without stealing anything and was charged with home burglary and common assault for the incident. The child’s mother initially thought the child had a bad dream, but after checking CCTV footage found out it was real. Mongoo’s lawyer Eva Svanberg said he had seen the girl wake up, and was trying to get her to fall asleep, but he recognised it would have been “very frightening.” Other incidents Mongoo was involved in included a home burglary in which an iPhone and sunglasses worth almost $1900 were stolen, and trespassing into the home of a 69-year-old man. The offences began a month after he had been released from prison in April last year. Mongoo was arrested on June 7 when he was found asleep on the outdoor couch of a property he had trespassed into. Ms Svanberg said Mongoo was “genuinely sorry” to his victims, in particular the young child. Mongoo had suffered from substance abuse issues from the age of 11, was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and was homeless after being released from prison, Ms Svanberg said. Magistrate Angus Hockton acknowledged Mongoo’s difficult circumstances but also described the offences as frightening. “One of the victims vocalised her fear, I accept it was nothing other than getting her to fall asleep … but it is a serious offence,” Mr Hockton said. Mongoo was given a prison sentence of two years and four months for the Strathalbyn burglary, and an additional four months for touching the child, while the other offences were dealt with through concurrent sentences. Mr Hockton said he hoped Mongoo could receive support after his imprisonment so that he would avoid repeating again.