The Queensland teen who survived a crocodile attack after jumping into a croc-infested river to impress a girl has continued his winning streak of really great ideas and been arrested.
Lee de Paauw, 18, was today convicted of several offences, including one count of attempting to steal a car and two counts of assaulting a police officer – one of which occurred after his first court appearance while in police custody.
His lawyer Chris Blishen essentially told the court that de Paauw’s media fame in March this year was the beginning of the end, although I would argue that as he jumped into croc-infested waters to impress a girl who was not even remotely interested, that ship had already sailed.
“The media took quite a lot of interested in my client,” he told the court. “They reduced him to a celebrity which gave him some notoriety, which actually helped him in jail.”
He told the court that de Paauw was paid $7,000 for one of his media interviews following the croc drama, and then spent “every single cent” on drugs and women.
“He goes on what I would say would be a drug binge … he jumped into a river and it just escalated from there.”
De Paauw, who pleaded guilty, appeared in court via video link from jail, and interjected several times during his sentencing, once to lift up his shirt and show off his eight pack.
He sobbed when learning he would be released from prison today, having served 16 days of his three-month sentence. He also apologised to the cop he assaulted while in the watch house, which is nice.
He’s been ordered to follow a two-year probation order.
Source: ABC.
Photo: Lee de Paauw / Facebook.
