A judge has said the member of a notorious Melbourne crime family who crashed a stolen car and cut off his GPS tracker while on parole "never stood a chance" given his dysfunctional upbringing.
Lex William Peirce, from the Pettingill family who inspired the 2010 film Animal Kingdom, on Friday faced the Victorian County Court charged with stealing a car, dangerous driving causing serious injury, and criminal damage at Driffield in November 2020.
Judge Duncan Allen said while the 40-year-old had endured a "grossly dysfunctional upbringing", he had also racked up a "dreadful" conviction history and that the cycle of crime now had to be broken.
"Mr Peirce never had a chance, but he's responsible for his conduct and he's got to do his best," Judge Allen told the court.
"He's also entitled to as much support as the state can offer. We just have to break the cycle. (Otherwise) you'll keep coming in and out of jail until you're 65 and only maybe then you'll wake up."
Peirce, then on parole, was driving without a licence toward Morwell, in Victoria's southeast, when he began "swerving out of control" and tailgating a stranger's car while driving at more 120km/h in November 2020, the court was told.
The male driver pulled over to let Peirce pass. But 15 minutes later he saw Peirce's car had crashed into a tree on the side of the road.
And when he went to check what happened, Peirce stole his car and drove off. He removed a GPS tracker placed on him by Corrections Victoria but was located by police three days later.
"I'm honestly sorry ... it's been eating me inside," Peirce told authorities after they informed the woman who was in his car when he crashed had been taken to hospital.
"Since I've been out of jail, I have f***ing tried. I've had setback after setback. This is honestly the last thing I wanted to do."
Peirce on Friday said he wanted to give up the life of crime and turn things around.
"I'm sick of it ... and so is everyone else," the 40-year-old told Judge Allen.
Peirce also said he was almost completely estranged from his family. He said he had turned to drugs and had twice tried to take his own life after struggling to navigate life outside prison.
"I apologise - I know I've done wrong, (but) I can only change my ways from now on," Peirce said.
Defence barrister Ron Tait, who has acted for Peirce since he was a teenager, said he had faced an uphill battle his whole life given his family background and social dislocation.
"He's really going to be under the pump when he gets out," Mr Tait said.
"He's going to need a lot of support ... otherwise I don't know what's going to happen to him."
Judge Allen will sentence Peirce at a later date.
