Man steals bag and clothes from Airlie store

Stealing a backpack and clothes from a store has resulted in a 43-year-old being handed a three-month prison sentence, with an immediate parole date.

Proserpine Magistrates Court, Main Street, Proserpine

STEALING a backpack and clothes from a store has resulted in a 43-year-old being handed a three-month prison sentence, with an immediate parole date.

Proserpine Magistrates Court was told, on Monday, how Grenville Alan Burke entered City Beach, in Airlie Beach, at about 6.15pm, on January 7, and picked up an Adidas bag, worth $50, and put 14 items in there, including shirts and shorts, and left the store.

"At 6.30pm, police went to City Beach and spoke with staff," Police Prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said.

"They viewed the CCTV footage, and they saw the defendant carrying the bag down the street with the tickets still on it.

"The defendant has previous property offences, in 2001, and numerous interstate history.

"In December 2019, he was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for 15 months, for unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

"The defendant has a tendency for dishonest behaviour. Clearly, all previous sentences are not working as a deterrent, as the defendant continues his offending."

The defendant, who was self-represented, pleaded guilty to stealing, saying it was down to hardship.

"I had all my possessions in my car, which was seized - I had no food or clothes," Burke, who is from Hay Point, said.

I was under hardship, which led to me stealing the items.

"I have a partner and I've applied for work in the mines."

Magistrate Ron Muirhead said Burke did not have to resort to stealing.

"There are organisations set up to assist people in your situation," he said.

"To make matters worse, you are (already) on a suspended sentence and you offended again, within a short time."

Magistrate Muirhead convicted and sentenced Burke to one month in prison for stealing, with $50 restitution for the bag.

He also activated the two-month suspended prison sentence, resulting in three months' imprisonment in total.

"But in view of what you have said - you have applied for a job and hopefully you will get one - I will set a parole date from today.

"So you are on parole from today but, if you breach this, you will be sent to prison to serve three months."

Originally published as