Brandon D’Alessandro, 21, has been handed a four-year jail sentence by the ACT Supreme Court. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
A gang of sledgehammer and axe-wielding youths embarked on a burglary spree in early 2023, smashing up and stealing from numerous shops across northern Canberra.
One of the crew’s getaway drivers, the now-21-year-old Brandon D’Alessandro, said he had sought to make amends for his involvement by returning to those businesses he helped burglarise to buy their products and leave them tips.
He faced the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday (2 July) on more than 40 charges and was handed a total sentence of four years’ jail.
On 2 January 2023, he was 18 when he and five other youths took a sledgehammer and axe and drove two stolen cars to commit numerous burglaries by smashing their way into shops and stealing various items.
They broke into shops in Crace, Palmerston, Nicholls, Gold Creek and Casey, breaking into cafes, restaurants, a lolly shop, a chemist, a Subway and a Domino’s Pizza and stealing cash registers, tip jars, alcohol, electronics and cookies.
Justice Belinda Baker said D’Alessandro, who drove one of the cars but did not break into any of the shops himself, and his five co-offenders caused a significant damage to many businesses, a number of which were small businesses.
Then on 23 January 2023, D’Alessandro and a co-offender used an axe to commit several more burglaries at businesses in the Belconnen region, including a pizzeria, Indian restaurant, cafe, bakery and barber, where they damaged the shops and stole items.
D’Alessandro pleaded guilty to 24 counts of burglary by joint commission, 12 counts of minor theft by joint commission, five counts of theft by joint commission and several driving-related charges.
He reported that everything had changed in his life since he was charged, Justice Baker said, partly as he was an expectant father with a baby due in September or October.
He told a psychologist he wished he could apologise to his victims and said since committing his offences he had made a point of buying from those same businesses he helped burglarise and leaving money in their tip jars.
But Justice Baker noted he had gone on to commit driving-related offences in both the ACT and NSW since the burglary spree, which he had described as “stupid slip-ups”.
She said of the five co-offenders, two remained unknown while the other three were aged under 18 at the time and had already been handed jail sentences.
Justice Baker said D’Alessandro, who had undergone drug rehabilitation, was remorseful and his decision to offend was affected by his youth and mental health.
“I accept he is committed to turning his life around,” she said.
D’Alessandro, who works as a car dismantler, spent almost 150 days in custody on remand, but Justice Baker said he should serve an extra 12 months in custody from Wednesday before she would suspend the remainder of his sentence.
She handed him a total of four years’ jail, backdated to take into account time served, which will be suspended in July 2026 if he enters into a good behaviour order. She also made a compensation order for $6106.
One of D’Alessandro’s supporters in the courtroom’s gallery tried to give him a rolled-up wad of cash to take into prison as he was being led away, presumably to be spent on extras like food inside the facility, but a Corrective Services officer said she would have to take it and provide it to him later.
Sounds like it went straight over your head chewy. You probably weren't around at the time, but the… View