Daniel Galbraith pleads guilty robbery, attempted fraud at Tewantin

A Tewantin man was busted for the opposite of a well-planned robbery when he drunkenly rummaged through a man’s car for cash before trying to fight him with a jacket.

Daniel Galbraith appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on Thursday. Picture: NSW Police

A Tewantin man has been given immediate parole after he drunkenly robbed a vehicle owner by rummaging through his car before throwing a jacket at them.

Daniel Galbraith was told his hairbrained crime “got out of hand” in the Maroochydore District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to robbery, entering a premises with intent and attempted fraud.

The 28-year-old was on the turps on May 25, 2023 in Tewantin when he helped himself to several items in a man’s car.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said the Tewantin man stole a jacket, wallet and sunglasses and closed the car’s door, which alerted the man who owned the vehicle.

Mr Stark said the man came out to investigate the noise and saw Galbraith hiding behind a fence before he tried to quickly walk away.

The man realised Galbraith had his jacket over his shoulder and asked if it was his when the 28-year-old ran off.

Galbraith threw several punches in the man’s direction and said “f--- off or I’ll knock you out” before he threw the jacket at him.

The court heard the man realised Galbraith had something in his pockets which turned out to be his wallet with $450 in it.

Daniel Galbraith pleaded guilty to three charges following a drunken robbery at Tewantin in 2023. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Mr Stark said his low level escapade unravelled when he tried to buy a pack of cigarettes with a stolen credit card in the man’s wallet, which declined because it was cancelled.

CCTV from where Galbraith tried to buy the cigarettes tied him to the scene and he was arrested on May 28, 2023. He has been in custody ever since.

The prosecutor said it was an “opportunistic” but “not exactly a well thought out robbery”.

Defence barrister Mark Dixon agreed, and said Galbraith decided to go through the vehicle on a whim when it “got out of hand”.

Mr Dixon said if he stopped halfway the rummaging he may have been charged with a lesser crime but his continued behaviour “cost him dearly”.

He said the 28-year-old spent years in and out of custody due to drug and alcohol use and said the Tewantin man was drunk when he committed the robbery.

Galbraith came from a troubled upbringing and had suffered losses in his family but wanted to live with a friend in the Brisbane suburb of Balmoral after his release and start rehabilitation.

Judge Glen Cash said Galbraith had a “concerning history” in New South Wales that included public nuisance, assault and stalking offences, and asked the 28-year-old to not just go “straight to the pub” when he arrived in Balmoral or he may get himself into trouble.

Galbraith was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ jail but given immediate parole release with 312 days in custody declared as time served.