Keith Zielke faces Yeppoon court for $700 Bunnings theft

A man has faced court for the first time in his life at the age of 64 after he stole more than $700 worth of products from a Yeppoon Bunnings store.

A man has faced court after he stole more than $700 worth of products from a Yeppoon Bunnings store. Generic image.

A man has faced court for the first time in his life at the age of 64 after he stole more than $700 worth of items from a Bunnings store on Christmas Eve.

Keith Frederick Zielke, 64, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on February 23 to stealing.

The court heard Zielke went to Bunnings at Yeppoon on December 24 last year.

There, he put a number of items in a trolley and took them to his car.

The prosecution said Zielke then went back into the store, paid for two items, and left the store and drove away.

What he did not pay for was $732.55 worth of gardening products including two solar kits.

The prosecution sought restitution for that amount.

The court heard Zielke had no criminal history.

Solicitor Krissy Cummins said Zielke was a support worker who had two-and-a-half years left before retirement.

Ms Cummins said Zielke knew he had made a “very poor decision” to steal the products and she asked Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale to consider not recording a conviction as one could impact Zielke’s employment for what was left of his working life.

“He (Zielke) was short of money at the time,” Ms Cummins said.

Ms Beckinsale said it was sad to see Zielke come before the court for the first time at this stage of his life.

She fined him $400 and ordered he pay $732.55 restitution.

No conviction was recorded.