Locklen Alexander Sheehy pleads guilty to 29 charges including fraud, stealing

A young, homeless petty thief who has spent half his adult life in custody went on a crime spree, making a rapid string of purchases on a stolen debit card including buying alcohol to sell to other homeless people.

Locklen Alexander Sheehy broke into homes around Bundaberg to steal cash and bank cards that he used for fraudulent purchases to support his homeless lifestyle.

A serial thief’s paywave crime spree buying scratchies and alcohol through 21 fraudulent paywave transactions in 20 minutes came to an end when police found him sitting on top of a cabinet in a locked garage.

Appearing from custody, Locklen Alexander Sheehy, 21, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Thursday to a string of charges including 21 counts of fraud and five counts of break and enter for a two-week crime spree in homes and businesses around Bundaberg.

The court heard Sheehy, described by police prosecutor Sgt Carl Spargo as a “recidivist offender”, had spent half his adult life in custody for the similar offending.

Sheehy’s defence lawyer Matt Maloy said his client has no identification and had been living on the streets.

In his latest spate of offending, documents tendered in court said CCTV footage showed Sheehy entering a Bundaberg Central backpackers through a back emergency door in the morning of September where he stole a wallet containing $500 in cash and a watch valued at $100 from two of the rooms.

Around one week later Sheehy stole a wallet and iPad from a car parked in the garage of a Walker St house.

Described by his lawyer as "a very unfortunate story", Locklen Alexander Sheehy broke into homes around Bundaberg to steal cash and bank cards that he used for fraudulent purchases to support his homeless lifestyle.

The court documents stated Sheehy attempted to purchase $60 worth of scratchies with the victim’s bank card at a nearby newsagency, but was declined due to the bank card having expired.

The following week Sheehy broke into a Walkervale home and did an “untidy search” of the dwelling, through which he stole a number of items including a solid pewter piggy bank containing around $10, an expensive watch, jewellery, a mobile phone and the victim’s wallet containing all of their bank cards.

After waking up the occupant of the house, Sheehy fled on his bicycle.

He was seen soon afterwards at a nearby BP service station where he made four paywave transactions with total value of $345.99 in 10 minutes using the victim’s stolen debit card.

Sheehy then went to the nearby Freshfields shopping centre where he made eight further paywave transactions within five minutes at BWS totalling $658, and at the Foodworks supermarket where he made nine further purchases totalling $742.39.

A week later, after one further incident where Sheehy broke into a Svensson Heights home and stole jewellery, bluetooth speakers and an iPhone, police went to a Walkervale house where Sheehy was staying and found him sitting on top of a cabinet in the corner of the garage.

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After he refused to get down from the cabinet police dragged Sheehy down and handcuffed him, following which he was arrested and held in custody at Maryborough Correctional Centre.

Sheehy's offending included 17 fraudulent paywave purchases at Freshfields Foodworks and BWS.

Mr Maloy told the court his client’s life was “a very unfortunate story”.

The court heard his mother also a serial offender, spending time in and out of prison.

At this time Sheehy lived with his father until he found him deceased, leaving him significantly traumatised.

Sheehy had found short-lived employment at a local recycling station, the court heard, but he had done very little work and his offending was largely for food and clothes for himself.

The BWS alcohol purchases made in order to sell the drinks to other homeless people in Bundaberg.

Magistrate John McInnes gave Sheehy a head sentence of 18 months imprisonment, with a parole release date of February 12, 2024.

Sheehy was convicted of 21 counts of fraud - dishonest application of property of another, two counts of enter premises and commit indictable offence by break, two counts of enter dwelling and commit and one count each of attempted fraud - dishonest application of property of another, enter premises with intent, obstruct police officer and stealing.