Vic: Man asked to be sent back to jail to tend his garden

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-1999
Vic: Man asked to be sent back to jail to tend his garden

By Catherine Chisholm

MELBOURNE, Dec 1 AAP - A man who wanted to be sent back to jail so that he could continue
to tend his prison garden was today granted his wish.

John Siotas, 23, told police he had broken into a building so he would be sent back
to Port Phillip Prison where he could continue his gardening job, Melbourne Magistrates
Court heard.

Magistrate Bill Gibb described Siotas' story as "a pretty sad one" and one of a young
man who had been "thrown from pillar to post".

He said Siotas probably just wanted to be in a place where he knew he was going to
wake up the next day.

Siotas, of Durham St, Flemington, had broken into a premises and made 176 phone calls
including one threatening to blow-up the Carlton police station.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Ian Cross said Siotas had broken into a premises at Flemington
on November 15 to make the calls.

He made a total of 56 calls to that police station and the remainder to chat to officers
at Port Phillip and Deer Park prisons.

Andrew Dennison, defending Siotas, said the offences were not committed for gain, but
to draw the attention of the authorities so he could be placed back in prison.

Mr Gibb said it was in the young man's best interests to be returned to a secure environment
and tend to his garden.

He said there were a number of health professionals involved in Siotas' case and that
he had been passed on from one to the other.

Mr Gibb said this case cried out for someone to manage and oversee the process, which
the court was assured would be undertaken.

He was sentenced to a total of four months imprisonment.

AAP cmc/jlw/rds/de

KEYWORD: SIOTAS

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