Stephen John Gopurenko pleads guilty to attempted robbery at Paget store

A serial offender who has spent more than a decade in jail is back behind bars over a bungled attempt at stealing a large toolkit almost the same size as him.

Stephen Gopurenko pleaded guilty to robbery with violence at Paget. Picture: Darryl Wright

A serial robber who has spent more than a decade in jail has been blasted over a brazen and bungled attempt at stealing a large toolkit to swap for drugs.

The incident happened during the day in March 2023 when Stephen John Gopurenko, then 45, tried to walk out of a Paget store with a large toolkit.

His barrister Scott McLennan labelled the attempt as “entirely unsophisticated” and amateurish after Gopurenko tried to walk by up to six men at the front counter without paying.

Mackay District Court heard he barely made it to his car when he was tackled by a number of people who performed a citizen’s arrest until police arrived.

“He was destined to be caught … (he made) no attempt to disguise,” Mr McLennan said, adding the punch his client had thrown during the robbery was “slow, ineffectual and easily dodged”.

The court heard he made a hollow threat to stab people, but was not armed.

Gopurenko pleaded guilty to attempted robbery. Mr McLennan said there had been no bodily harm.

The incident came about because Gopurenko, a long term drug user, had “been stood over and his methadone and valium had been taken from him”.

“He’d been intending on stealing a six-piece tool kit to swap it back for his medication,” Mr McLennan said.
Judge Michael Burnett said it was “fanciful to think that you would have gotten away with it” given he was struggling with a box “almost your own size” trying to get by a group of men standing either side of the entrance.

“Your efforts at resisting arrest by these people were also … particularly ridiculous,” Judge Burnett said.

The court heard he had spent 274 days in presentence custody on remand and had an “abhorrent and protracted” criminal history of property dishonesty and violent offending across Queensland and Victoria that also included armed robberies and had spent more than 10 years behind bars.

Gopurenko had also been two months into a year-long probation order when this offending occurred.

Judge Burnett noted Gopurenko had a long history of drug use and been afforded every opportunity of rehabilitation over the years.

The court heard he had abstained from drug use in custody and was now clean.

Judge Burnett accepted Gopurenko had a significantly prejudicial upbringing that had resulted in him turning to drugs and crime.

He was jailed for 2.5 years with parole release on September 2, 2024.

A conviction was recorded.