Travis Anthony Lester: Albany man sentenced to nine months in jail for carrying and brandishing weapons

An Albany man has been jailed after he took a baseball bat into a shop and brandished a knife at an off-duty police officer who caught him stealing from a car. Travis Anthony Lester, 39, appeared via video link from Albany Regional Prison in Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday, when he pleaded guilty to possessing a controlled weapon on March 14 and to stealing and being armed on August 1. Lester was in Best & Less on November 28 when a staff member called the police after picking up a shirt to put it away and finding a studded baseball bat inside. Lester — who had wrapped the bat inside the shirt and left it unattended — left the store but was arrested, telling police he found the bat on the street and was taking it home for safekeeping. On June 21, an off-duty police officer caught Lester stealing a $2 coin from a parked car in Spencer Park. Lester brandished a knife at the officer and fled on a push bike. When the officer caught up with him, Lester handed him the knife. Aboriginal Legal Service lawyer Georgia Herford said her client denied brandishing the knife at the officer but accepted he had the knife in his hand when he rode away and could see how it may have looked like he was brandishing it. She said Lester has ADHD and frontal lobe brain damage and suffered sexual and physical abuse while growing up in Department of Communities homes. Ms Herford said Lester, who began using methamphetamine at 15, has spent the majority of his life homeless and couch surfing. She asked the court to consider a conditional suspended imprisonment order in light of Lester’s significant issues with impulse control and his prior injury of a broken jaw when he was previously incarcerated. Police prosecutor Sgt Matt Hartfield said Lester’s criminal record stretched back to the 2000s and displayed a “continuation of offending”. “Enough is enough,” he said. Magistrate Erin O’Donnell said the offences were committed during a suspended imprisonment order and that they would be dealt with on a breach basis despite the order having expired at the time of sentencing. Lester was sentenced to nine months imprisonment with eligibility for parole. If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.