Dion Troy Jetta: 18 months imprisonment for car theft and arson threat for ‘disrespect’

An Albany man has been imprisoned for stealing a man’s car on Albany Highway and later threatening to burn his house down if he was “disrespectful” and told the police. Dion Troy Jetta, 44, appeared via video link from Albany Regional Prison in Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday on one charge of stealing a motor vehicle, making a threat, and no authority to drive. Police prosecutor Sgt Matt Hartfield told the court how Jetta was on a conditional suspended imprisonment order when he stole a man’s car after asking for a lift and later threatened to burn his house down. Between 6.15pm and 6.40pm on April 1, the victim was parked on Albany Highway near the ANZ Albany branch when Jetta approached him and asked for a lift to Orana. The pair are known to each other. Jetta grabbed the keys from the victim’s car and stole it, driving it north to Orana before returning it to the victim’s address where the victim’s father was home. Jetta gave the keys to the victim’s father and warned him that his son was “disrespectful”, threatening to burn their house down if they reported the incident to the police. Jetta was later arrested on Cordelia Avenue. He has two lifetime driving bans for reckless driving and driving under the influence of drugs. Jetta’s defence lawyer Graeme Payne said the offences breach a conditional suspended imprisonment order and his client knew he had been given a chance but had “stuffed it up”. The conditional suspended imprisonment order was for aggravated assault, breach of bail, impeding breathing, and obstructing an officer. Mr Payne said his client was distressed by his ankle monitor — a condition of the suspended imprisonment order — because he felt it incorrectly identified him as a sex offender. He said Jetta was anxious to get home the night of the offences as the battery on his ankle monitor was running low when he asked the victim for a lift home. Mr Payne said his client’s actions were “no surprise” and said Jetta had spent a large portion of his life institutionalised and had trouble managing his emotions. Magistrate Erin O’Donnell said Jetta made a “serious threat” while on a conditional suspended imprisonment order. Jetta was ordered to serve 18 months imprisonment commencing April 1, including the suspended imprisonment order, and will be eligible for parole after serving nine months. He was given a further two years road disqualification on top of his two lifetime driving bans.