Leigh Andrew Gleeson pleads guilty to bike, tool thefts in Christies Beach Magistrates Court

A 52-year-old heroin addict and serial bike thief – who was caught red-handed trying to steal a SAPOL bike – has faced court.

Leigh Gleeson has been convicted of stealing a number of bikes to fuel his heroin addiction. Picture: File

An Oaklands Park man who stole bikes and tools to fund his heroin addiction has been labelled “predatory” and “parasitical” by a magistrate.

Leigh Andrew Gleeson, 52, appeared at the Christies Beach Magistrates court via video link from Mount Gambier Prison charged with multiple theft charges.

Magistrate Susan O’Connor said Gleeson had gotten himself into an “appalling situation” and could not “dig himself out”.

“Up until his incarceration he was a heroin user,” she said.

“It appears he was unfortunately lowering himself into this predatory, parasitical lifestyle where because he is addictive or dependant on an opiate the thirst or the craving … means that he has very little concern for the proprietary interests of other people.

“So it appears for the last five years he’s been wasting his life in what should be an embarrassing lifestyle where he’s always on the lookout to take from other people.”

The court heard Gleeson had been charged with stealing and unlawfully possessing a number of bicycles and tools over the course of many months this year.

Leigh Gleeson faced the Christies Beach Magistrates Court via video link. Picture: Kaysee Miller

“This parasitical behaviour and the effect it has on the community needs to be deterred,” Ms O’Connor said.

“He was caught red-handed trying to steal a SAPOL bike … he was then found on the 16th of June with another stolen bike riding in the city in breach of bail.

“On the 13th of August he was found in possession of an adult’s men’s mountain bike.

“On September 27, again he was found unlawfully in possession of a men’s mountain bike.

“He had with him torches, snipping tools, a hacksaw blade which it appears he kits himself out for so he can do something about the security mechanisms of the bikes so that he can pinch them.”

Defence lawyer Yasmin Faiyad told the court Gleeson had turned to drugs after the death of his long-term partner but since going to prison had started to turn his life around.

“He was heavily using heroin at the time, he can’t remember the majority of the offences due to that,” she said.

“His intention is to do weight training and body building on his release in order to abstain from drug use.”

Ms O’Connor convicted Gleeson and ordered he serve six months, one week and three days in prison backdated to his September 27 arrest.