Lucas Ryan Stuart-Holmes pleads guilty to fraud, stealing in Bundaberg court

A man with a history of dishonesty offending was caught in the act when he used stolen bank cards to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of scratchies.

Lucas Ryan Stuart-Holmes has a history of dishonesty offending, a court has heard.

A woman who parked her car at the Bundaberg squash courts would unknowingly fall victim to crime after a man on parole, with a history of dishonesty offending, took her bank cards on a spending spree.

Lucas Ryan Stuart-Holmes appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court by videolink on Monday where he faced charges of fraud and stealing in relation to a string of crimes earlier this year.

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The court was told that on November 1, an unknown offender entered the open car, which the victim thought she had locked, and took belongings including five bank and credit cards.

Stuart-Holmes received two of the five cards from another person on McLean St, which he then used to rack up hundreds of dollars in instant scratchie purchases on November 2.

Police prosecutor Andrew Powis told the court that on numerous occasions, Stuart-Holmes had used the bank cards at various newsagencies to buy large numbers of scratchie tickets, including a two-and-a-half-hour window where he went back to the same newsagency seven times, amassing a bill of $468.75.

In total, Stuart-Holmes spent $1267 of the victim’s money on a phone and credit, cigarettes, tobacco and scratchies at various locations around town.

Bundaberg Court House.

But the crime spree soon came to an end when the victim noticed the fraudulent transactions through her online banking and police were able to head to a local newsagent where they caught Stuart-Holmes in the act.

He was also captured on CCTV scratching off a sticker on a clothing shop door at a cost of $80 to the business.

Earlier in the year, the defendant had been implicated for his role in the theft of tools and a laser level from a truck parked on Woondooma St.

The court heard Stuart-Holmes had been involved with others in taking $5100 worth of gear from the truck and placing the items in a trolley and down a drainage ditch where they were photographed so the accused’s friends could collect them.

The items were never returned.

Stuart-Holmes, who was self-represented, told the court he’d been going through a tough time and that grief over the recent death of his partner had led to him offending.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said.

Magistrate John McInnes said he accepted the impact of the death of the defendant's partner, but said it must also be noted he has a “poor record” for dishonesty offending.

Stuart-Holmes pleaded guilty to one count of receiving tainted property, one count of wilful damage to property without consent (loss of $250 or less), eight counts of fraud and one count of stealing after previous conviction.

He received a head sentence of six months’ jail with immediate parole eligibility.

Time served from November 29 until December 19 was not declared.