Adam McKewan sentenced over thefts, weapons, punch
A serial shop thief who was taken down in a citizens arrest was found to be carrying knives more than once – including a meat cleaver – a court has heard.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A serial shop thief turned to drug abuse and crime as he battled homelessness and mental health issues, a court has heard.
Adam McKewan, 21, fronted Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday via videolink from the Metropolitan Remand Centre and pleaded guilty to charges including recklessly causing injury, five counts of shop-theft and possessing controlled weapons and ice.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Simon Guthrie convicted and sentenced him to 157 days in prison, reckoned as time served, and varied an existing CCO to restart from Wednesday, for 15 months.
McKewan was placed on that community corrections order (CCO) in March, but before the month was out, he was nabbed stealing more than $600 of Nike-brand clothes from Footlocker in Westfield on March 24.
McKewan was followed out of the store by a staff member, who performed a citizen’s arrest.
The court heard McKewan was held by several members of the public until police arrived, and it was revealed he had with him with a kitchen knife.
When interviewed by police, McKewan made full admissions and told police someone told him “they would pay (him)” for the items he stole.
He said he had been robbed days before, and needed the knife “for protection”.
Data released by Victoria’s Crime Statistics Agency showed a retail theft related offence was committed every 15 minutes across the state.
In Geelong, theft offences in general are up, with 7,113 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March 2025, a rise of more than 34 per cent from the year before.
On March 12, McKewan was seen passed out near a 7-Eleven by a member of the public, who called police to perform a welfare check.
Responding officers found McKewan had a “meat cleaver” and a chef’s knife wrapped in a jumper in his bag.
McKewan also punched a woman known to him in the head, leaving her with a black eye, on June 2.
He also shoplifted from Kmart and Coles in Leopold and when he was arrested on June 3, he was found with more than $500 worth of stolen goods.
McKewan’s lawyer, Ashlee Bohan, asked for the court to impose a CCO, and not record any time served.
She told the court that her client had been struggling with homeless and his mental health – having diagnoses of ADHD and schizophrenia.
At the time of the offending he was unmedicated, Ms Bohan said.
Without a phone or stable accommodation, he had struggled to meet the requirements of the CCO and relapsed into drug use and criminality, the court heard.
However, Ms Bohan said referrals had now been made to assist him in finding accommodation and treatment.
In sentencing McKewan, Mr Guthrie told him: “You’re hanging with the wrong group”.
He told McKewan to see his GP as soon as he’s released to get a mental healthcare plan, and “get on the front foot, as best you can”.
“I want to make sure that you’re engaging with services … I don’t want you to resort back to violence,” he said.
McKewan will reappear in court in November for judicial monitoring.
More Coverage
Originally published as Adam McKewan sentenced over thefts, weapons, punch
Council seeks operators for ‘Salamanca-style’ market
City Hall is seeking operators to be part of a Salamanca-style weekly market in the heart of the CBD after funding was secured in the recently approved budget.
Lifelong Geelong resident turns 100
At 100, Mary Hagebols has spent a century in Geelong as the family’s go-to news source, passionate Cats supporter, and beloved community member whose warmth has touched countless lives.