Samuel Papasidero sentenced for car thefts, break and enter
A Gympie teen’s wild crime spree included driving a stolen Mercedes Benz at 200km/h on the Bruce Highway and ram-raiding a Tewantin supermarket to get cigarettes.
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An 18-year-old Araluen man who used a Volkswagen Golf to ram-raid a Noosa IGA for cigarettes has been sent back to jail after a series of meth-induced, high-end car thefts across Gympie, the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
Samuel Papasidero pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Tuesday to stealing three cars, stealing petrol, driving alone twice as a learner driver, dangerous operation of a car, breaching bail and two break and enters.
Papasidero was supported by his mother in the public gallery.
The court heard he first stole a Mercedes Benz from a Gympie property on February 27, then stole fuel from an EG petrol station on River Rd, Gympie, and was caught driving 200km/h up the Bruce Highway.
He was a learner driver at the time, and was alone in the car when he was caught.
On March 2, Papasidero stole a Volkswagen Golf from a Tewantin home, which he and another man used to ram-raid a Tewantin IGA to steal cigarettes.
They caused more than $14,000 worth of damage to the store.
The same day, Papasidero was caught driving alone in Gympie, again as a learner driver.
On July 28, he breached his bail, stole a third car from Brisbane City and stole a set of keys.
Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell described the offences as a “spree”.
Defence lawyer Chris Anderson said his client had spent 83 days in pre-sentence custody, and had used that time to reflect on his crimes.
In a letter read by Magistrate Chris Callaghan from Papasidero, he said he had “grown more remorseful with every day”.
Mr Anderson said Papasidero had a fascination with cars, and did not remember why he chose the particular cars, or even why he stole them in the first place, due to meth use.
Mr Callaghan gave Papasidero a head sentence of 15 months behind bars, but ordered he only serve four months with a parole release date of November 27.
He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, and no restitution was sought.
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