STATE OF TASMANIA v JUSTIN JAMES BROWNE 26 FEBRUARY 2026
COMMENTS ON PASSING SENTENCE JAGO J
Mr Browne, you have pleaded guilty to perverting justice. On 29 June 2025, you were arrested for some unrelated matters (which I note were subsequently dismissed). You were transported to the Burnie Police Station and presented to the custody sergeant. Whilst being processed, you told the arresting officer and custody sergeant that your name was Lucas Kurt Henry Browne, and your date of birth was 11 December 1991. These were the details of your brother.
You gave police the false details because you wished to avoid being detected, and arrested, for bail offences. At the time you were on Supreme Court bail, and you were in breach of that bail, because you had not been at the required residential address, and you had failed to sign in at the Devonport Police Station as required. You gave your brother’s name to avoid this being realised by police.
Your deceit was discovered, however, when your fingerprints and DNA, which were taken at the time of your arrest, were processed. The results indicated a match with you. On 1 July 2025, you attend at the Burnie Police Station intending to speak with police about the difficulties you were having in respect to your Supreme Court bail conditions. At that point, you were arrested for this crime.
You are 33 years of age. You have a long and relevant criminal history. You have been sentenced to imprisonment on many occasions. Your recorded criminal history involves matters of dishonesty, driving offences, offences against property, matters of violence, including family violence, offences committed against police and bail offences.
You are on bail, currently awaiting trial for crimes of aggravated armed robbery and wounding. Much of your offending is associated with a long-term addiction to illicit substances and the excessive use of alcohol. A review of your criminal history suggests you have been given many opportunities by way of sentencing orders to address such difficulties, but it seems they continue to adversely impact your life.
Perverting justice is regarded as serious as it undermines the integrity of the justice system. Persons who are convicted of this crime are almost always sentenced to imprisonment, not only for punishment, but to send a clear message to those who may be tempted to act as you did, that prison is the likely outcome. In your case, you acted as you did to avoid being arrested in respect to breaching bail conditions, which were imposed in respect to very serious allegations before this Court. Seeking to avoid responsibility for bail non- compliance is a serious matter.
I take into account, however, that your endeavours were not particularly sophisticated nor well thought out. Your deceit was quickly detected and rectified. Nevertheless, because of the weight which must be given to principles of general deterrence, a period of imprisonment is warranted.
You are convicted of the crime of perverting justice. You are sentenced to imprisonment for a period of four months, commencing 25 October 2025.