A drug-addicted serial criminal with a record 35 pages long would be spending the rest of his life in prison if one judge had his way.

Instead Joeshon Russell will spend the next eight years behind bars following his latest conviction in a criminal career spanning 24 years and hundreds of offences.

Lamenting the limits the law placed on the sentence he could impose, Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves noted that the 39-year-old had been given every sentence possible, short of execution, during the past two decades.

“Unfortunately we cannot put you away forever, and unfortunately we cannot allow you to roam free because it is certain that you will continue to use (drugs), and commit these kinds of offences,” Mr Justice Greaves said.

“It appears clear that the only solution left is for the court to impose a sentence, within the limits of the law, that will protect society from you for as much time as the law limit can hold.”

Russell had pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court on April 3 to two counts of burglary and 15 counts of dishonesty.

At that time he was released on bail, but he was remanded two weeks later after he admitted another three counts of burglary and 11 counts of dishonesty.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner subsequently sent all of Russell’s cases to the Supreme Court for sentencing.

During a hearing yesterday morning, prosecutor Nicole Smith told the court that in each of the cases Russell had stolen items including cheques from the homes, and then attempted to use the cheques.

She described the series of offences before the court as a crime spree which “wreaked havoc” on the community.

The prosecutor also noted that Russell has appeared before the courts on a multitude of occasions since 1990 and has previously been given every available form of sentence, including two unsuccessful stints in Drug Treatment Court.

While Ms Smith called for a sentence of eight years behind bars, defence lawyer Kamal Worrell called for a suspended sentence stating that Russell was attempting to turn his life around.

Mr Worrell told the court that Russell had been seeking assistance combating his drug addiction, and that in order to break the cycle of criminal behaviour the court needs to do what it can to help the defendant get clean, saying: “What we submit would help the public in his circumstances is all the conditions and treatment opportunities that have been recommended [in court-ordered reports].”

He also emphasised that Russell had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and readily admitted the offences to police, assisting them with their investigation.

Russell himself told the court that he had been trying to get help with his addiction, but was told by one treatment facility that it would be several months before he could be admitted.

“If a heroin addict comes to a facility for help, there’s no way he should be told he will have to wait four or five months,” he said.

He asked the court for mercy, saying: “I have two young sons that I want to be there for, I need to be there for.

“No one can say I’m not salvageable. I’m, just asking for help and leniency.

“I’m not a monster. The monster comes when I get caught up with heroin.”

Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves said he was sorry to see Russell before the courts again, noting the defendant’s long history with drugs and a record of previous convictions 35 pages long.

“It seems evident that you are unable to help yourself, and it is evident that nobody else is able to help you. It is certainly evident that these courts are left with no devices by which to assist you,” Mr Justice Greaves said.

Noting that Russell was entitled to a sizeable discount for his early guilty plea, Mr Justice Greaves sentenced the defendant to a total of five years behind bars for the first 17 offences and another three years for the subsequent 14 offences.

He ordered that those sentences run consecutively, resulting in a total sentence of eight years in prison.

And while the judge said the time Russell has already spent behind bars in connection to the matters would be taken into account, he ordered that Russell serve at least half of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

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