Elijah Reid English: Albany man who removed his ankle monitor and gave police false personal details jailed

An Albany man who removed his ankle monitoring device and gave false details to police when they tracked him down has been jailed. Elijah Reid English, 21, appeared in Albany Magistrates Court via video link from Albany Regional Prison on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to both charges against him. Police prosecutor Sgt Dylan Fisher told the court the Department of Justice received a strap tamper alert just after 7pm on December 4. Police dispatched to English’s Yakamia address confirmed he had removed his ankle monitor and left the premises. English was located at an address in Mt Melville the following day, and gave police a false name and date of birth when questioned. Officers determined it was in fact English, and he was arrested and remanded in custody. Defence counsel David Robinson said English had been released on home detention bail by Perth District Court only eight days earlier, but after becoming bored while “stuck at home” had removed his monitoring device to go and see his sister-in-law. He said English had “panicked” when police showed up at the door and gave them a false name and date of birth, and conceded the “sheer stupidity” of his actions was difficult to ignore. Sgt Fisher said English would have been all too aware of the consequences of removing his monitoring device, and had “thoroughly wasted” an opportunity given to him by the courts. Magistrate Rosemarie Myers agreed that English had wasted his opportunity to live in the community and spend time with friends and family. English was sentenced to six months and seven days in jail, backdated to December 4, and was made eligible for parole. Ms Myers ordered English pay $39.50 in compensation to the Department of Justice to replace the ankle strap he had broken.