Robert Samuel Ursida faces court accused of skill-tester thefts
An alleged skill-tester thief who was busted with 10 machines in his garage was storing them just seven kilometres from the local business who owned them, a court heard.
North & North East
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Six of 10 skill-testers allegedly stolen by a serial thief were taken in the space of just two days, according to court documents, as the local business owner who runs the machines vows to claw their way back.
Of those six, three were allegedly taken from Kilburn on Thursday last week.
Robert Samuel Ursida, 45, of Parafield Gardens, on Monday made an application for bail in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on 10 charges of dishonestly dealing with property.
He was also charged with using unprescribed number plates and driving/using/interfering with a motor vehicle without consent.
The first skill-tester, the court documents showed, was taken on October 25 before a flurry of alleged thefts between November 3 and November 11 netted the other nine.
A police prosecutor said there was no opposition to Mr Ursida being released on supervised bail.
The court heard the vending machines were owned by RSVP Vending, a locally-owned entertainment group.
RSVP Vending is based at Salisbury North, about seven kilometres away from Mr Ursida’s house, where police say the 10 skill-tester machines were found.
A statement posted by RSVP Vending on their social media thanked police and security.
“I want to thank SA Police for their dedication and commitment,” it read.
“Thank you to the security and staff at the shopping centre.
“We will be up and running soon. Watch this space.”
Mr Ursida was arrested late Friday afternoon at Parabanks Shopping Centre at Salisbury after police alleged the “long arm of the claw” had caught up with him.
They allege witnesses saw him trying to steal an 11th machine.
When police arrived at the shopping centre, they found what later investigations determined to be a stolen white van – to which they were alerted because it had a hand written number plate.
Police allege the van was being used by Mr Ursida, and within it they found a padlock and bag of coins they say were from the skill-tester at the Salisbury shopping centre.
Magistrate Mark Semmens remanded Mr Ursida pending the return of a home detention report.
He is yet to enter a plea and will face court again next week.
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