A South Australian man will serve an 18-month community corrections order after he plead guilty to trespassing on a Widgelli property on Christmas Eve.
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Matthew Chapman, 30, of Hoyleton, plead guilty in Griffith Local Court on July 28 to two counts of unlawfully entering inclosed lands and one count of assault.
According to facts tendered to the court, Chapman entered a Coghlan Road property at Widgelli around 7pm on December 24, 2020.
At 10pm that night he was discovered by the owners of the property going through their bathroom cupboards.
Chapman was escorted out of the house and became agitated, he picked up a tomahawk and one of the victims tried to grab it, but Chapman dropped it, running to a nearby orchard.
He picked and threw 'half-a-dozen' pears at a resident, hitting them twice.
Chapman was asked what he was doing at the property and he said his name was 'Neil' was staying there with his carer, 'David'.
It was discovered that a cottage where two guests were staying had been ransacked and a number of items had been taken, but were later found on the property.
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A resident of the property guided Chapman to a vacant cottage where he took a shower. The vacant cottage had also been ransacked.
Police were called and they found Chapman lying on his side in the shower with the water running. Police called upon paramedics to help recover Chapman and sedate him before taking him to Griffith Base Hospital.
After Chapman was arrested on December 25, 2020, he spent the next five months in jail before being released on May 12, 2021.
Chapman's solicitor Olivia Harris argued that for the three charges Chapman was pleading guilty to the threshold for a jail sentence had not been reached.
She told the court that Chapman was under the influence of drugs, earlier taking 'ice' and had little recollection of events following that.
"He has been drug-free since the offence and enjoys the support of his father in South Australia," Ms Harris said.
She said Chapman had been doing casual groundskeeper work and intended to leave NSW to live with his father in SA.
"The facts read very seriously and it's clear you were charged with far more serious offences and these have since been withdrawn," Magistrate Michael Love said.
"It still must have been quite a terrifying event for the victims, it's Christmas Eve and they have no idea what was happening and no idea if you were going to turn violent," he said.
"I accept you were on drugs and would have thought this event has scared you sober."
Mr Love said the 140 days in jail should provide "motivation" never to use drugs again.
Chapman was convicted, and fined $400 for each count of entering inclosed lands and will serve an 18 month community corrections order .
"You need to prove you can stay away from drugs," Mr Love said.
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