For those of you who have faith in the criminal justice system and want to keep it that way, do not read the following.
A judge who demanded to know the name of “the idiot” who granted bail to a serial burglar discovered yesterday he was talking about himself.
Northern Territory Supreme Court Justice Dean Mildren yesterday conceded privately that he was the judge to grant bail to the thief in November.
It is believed Justice Mildren had forgot he was responsible.
Tristan Ellis, 18, was granted bail by Justice Mildren on November 25 after breaching a curfew imposed by the judge last April. He had been facing 28 break-and-enter charges.
Justice Mildren told him: “Don’t muck up ñ these chances come only once.”
Ellis was ordered to attend drug rehabilitation programs in Darwin.
But the self-confessed “lowlife crim” promptly went back to his old ways and committed 17 more break and enters and assault.
The judge said on Monday that he was “absolutely staggered” that Ellis had been given bail three times last year.
“Who is the idiot who did that?” he asked.
Ellis will be sentenced in the Supreme Court today. He faces up to life in prison.
