Hunter Atuatika: Young Ipswich man sentenced for ‘opportunistic’ stealing

After watching a forgotten backpack containing a phone, an iPad, and Airpods in a popular shopping centre food court “for ages”, an Ipswich man decided it was his to take, a court has heard.

An “opportunistic” young electrical apprentice has been fined after stealing a 45-year-old woman’s backpack containing expensive goods, telling police it was “just there” for the taking.

Hunter Atuatika, 22, from Brassall appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday February 22, where he pleaded guilty to one charge of stealing.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Paul Caldwell told the court the victim of the crime reported her black Nike backpack – containing an iPad, an iPhone, and Airpods – was stolen from Indooroopilly Shopping Centre about 3.45pm on January 13 this year.

The court heard the woman had accidentally left her backpack behind on a chair in the food court and, upon her return, the backpack and its contents were missing.

Police reviewed CCTV footage depicting the incident and began an investigation.

Sgt Caldwell said police found Atuatika at his home on February 7 and spoke with him about the incident.

“He stated the backpack was just there and he was watching it for ages and just took it,” Sgt Caldwell said.

Defence lawyer Erin Dwan said her client’s behaviour was “clearly opportunistic” and all of the property was still in the backpack when located by police.

She told the court Atuatika was 3.5 years into an electrical apprenticeship and living with his mother and two brothers.

The charge before the court on Tuesday was not his first, having committed dishonesty-type offences in 2019.

Magistrate Dennis Kinsella said he had taken into account Atuatika’s young age and early plea of guilty into consideration when deciding an appropriate punishment.

“I’m going to categorise what you did as really a lack of judgment, on that occasion,” Mr Kinsella said.

“What we hope for when we lose (something) is that some person of good character, or just normal standing within our community, does the right thing and hands it in so that we can get it back.

“There’s an unwritten contract in our community that we do things like this for one another. You breached that rule on this occasion.”

Atuatika was fined $500. No conviction was recorded.