Mechanic steals from client in shameful act

The father-of-three revealed his shame to the court after he seized the opportunity to steal from a client.

A mechanic has fronted court on fraud, forgery and drug charges after he stole blank scripts from a client’s car.

A MECHANIC’S work day “became a blur” after he tore two, ready-to-use blank scripts from a pad he found in a client’s glovebox.

David Joseph Salakowski represented himself before Maroochydore Magistrates Court today and pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud, two of forging and uttering and one of possessing the dangerous drug, oxycodone.

Police prosecutor Vicky Kennedy-Grills told the court Salakowski was working on a vehicle when he stole two scripts from a pad of 100; each had a serial number and were stamped with the doctor’s details.

The court heard on July 15 and 17, Salakowski filled in the scripts with his name, Medicare number, full address and a script for 20 20mg oxycodone capsules.

He then bought the drugs from Terry White in Minyama and a discount chemist in Warana.

Senior Sergeant Kennedy-Grills told the court police tracked the scripts’ serial numbers, and identified Salakowski on CCTV when he bought the drugs.

Sen Sgt Kennedy-Grills said police found Salakowski and two empty drug packets when they raided a home in Minyama on July 25. She submitted a community-service order would be an appropriate sentence.

Salakowski told the court he was a senior mechanic at a Palmwoods workshop, and the script pad fell out of the glovebox when he removed it.

“The rest of the day was a blur after that Your Honour,” he said.

Salakowski told the court he was embarrassed and ashamed, was a father of three children and rarely had time with his family between work.

He told the court he had become a drug addict at a young age, and was involved in the scene in a “fairly major way”.

Despite this, he said he had never been caught and had no criminal history.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said the offences were serious, and Salakowski would likely have received a jail term if not for his clean record.

He was fined $1500 with no convictions recorded.

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