A criminal spent hundreds of dollars using stolen bank cards after a mistaken arrest convinced him he was going to be locked up "no matter what" he did, a court has heard.
Guy Pearson Roberts told acting Justice Rebecca Christensen he lost hope in the criminal justice system after he was mistakenly arrested for breaching his bail conditions.
He had previously pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated burglary, obtaining property by deception, hindering a public official and unlawful possession of stolen goods.
On Monday, Roberts told the ACT Supreme Court's drug and alcohol sentencing list the false arrest "had been a major setback" which "led him back to custody".
"It felt like no matter what I done [sic], I was gonna get locked up and I just started using drugs again, went on a downhill spiral," he said.
The career criminal, who spent the previous 18 months in custody, argued a drug and alcohol order would help him rehabilitate and integrate back into the community.
The court heard audio from the night of the mistaken arrest when police attended Roberts' home, which he shared with his wife Carla Lee Sebbens, for an alleged breach of bail.
In the recording, Roberts could be heard arguing with officers, saying he had attended a police station as part of his bail orders earlier that day.
Officers threatened to break down the front door, after which Roberts and his wife agreed to come out and were placed in a police paddy wagon.
"I'm going, I'm f--ing going, we've done the right thing," he could be heard saying.
"We'll sort it out, it isn't fair."
Two weeks after the false arrest in May 2023, Roberts broke into Westfield Woden with two other men at about 3am carrying an axe.
The trio damaged a loading dock door while entering the building, walking down corridors near a jewellery shop before fleeing when alarms rang out.
The following day, Roberts broke into a home in Weston and stole the wallets of the owners, including several bank cards.
He then used the cards to spend hundreds of dollars on cigarettes and alcohol at Lyons shops.
After watching CCTV from the shops, police turned up at Robert's home with a search warrant, but he refused to let them enter the house, brandishing a machete and threatening self-harm if they tried to enter.
Roberts then had a stand off with officers for two hours, with police negotiators and ACT firefighters attending his home, before he agreed to come out.
At the time the judge was meeting with Roberts weekly as part of his bail conditions.
Prosecutor Georgina Meikle said she was concerned about Roberts' ability to comply with a drug and alcohol order given his criminal history, and refusal to take a urine test in prison.
"In the absence of supporting programs ... [it's] difficult to see how he would be able to benefit from the order," she said.
Roberts is set to be sentenced in November.
