Man steals $3500+ items from neighbour, pawns for cash in brazen theft

The man fronted the Warwick court along with another man who pinched hundreds of dollars out of a servo till in a brazen daytime theft, and more. Get the full list here.

BUSTED BURGLARS: These were the residents sentenced for theft and fraud crimes in the Warwick court this past month. Picture: vchal / iStock

A man who stole nearly $4000 worth of belongings from his neighbour’s home and then tried to pawn them for cash was just one of the thieves sentenced in recent sittings of the Warwick court.

Brandon James McCormick forced entry through a window into his neighbour’s home on Forde Street, Allora at a time between March 25 – 27.

The Warwick Magistrates Court heard the 24-year-old stole a double bass guitar, watch, hand tools, a guitar amplifier, and an electric guitar worth about $3600 in total.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said McCormick took the stolen guitars and amp to the Cash Converters in Toowoomba City, where he pawned them for $300.

Sergeant de Lissa said the man was identified using the store’s CCTV footage and police raided his home on April 22.

Officers uncovered a 12cm marijuana plant and another 1g of the drug, along with an electric grinder and a bong in McCormicks’ home, which he readily admitted belonged to him.

The court was told all stolen items were returned to the owner.

Defence lawyer Clare Hine said the unemployed father-of-four was struggling financially at the time and turned to theft out of desperation, but was “deeply ashamed and had absolutely no excuses whatsoever”.

“He uses marijuana to help with severe back pain. He fractured his spine when he was 11 in a motocross accident, and he now tells me he’s looking into having prescription medicinal marijuana,” Ms Hine said.

McCormick pleaded guilty to one count each of entering a dwelling and committing an indictable offence, fraud, possessing dangerous drugs, producing dangerous drugs, and possessing drug utensils.

He was placed on probation for 12 months.

These were the other residents sentenced for stealing offences recently:

Anthony Wayne Brown’s sneaky attempt to take hundreds of dollars in cash from a petrol station earned him a date with the Warwick magistrate.

The 40-year-old went to the United service station in Warwick at about 5.45pm on February 20, where the staff member behind the register was counting money.

Sergeant de Lissa said Brown asked to purchase cigarettes and took advantage of the short window in which the employee turned away to get the item.

“While she turned her back to get the cigarettes from the shelf, (Brown)’s taken the opportunity to reach over the counter and grab $400 in $50 notes,” he said.

The Warwick court was told Brown paid for the cigarettes and left the store before the staff member realised the money had been stolen.

The former Warwick and Killarney man was identified using CCTV footage and caught by police later that day, where he claimed he was under the influence of drugs at the time.

Brown pleaded guilty to one count of stealing. He was fined $350 and ordered to pay $400 in restitution.

He was serving a suspended sentence at the time, so must also appear in Toowoomba Supreme Court at a later date.

Mum-of-five Taylah Sherrie Lecomber paid for some of her Priceline items but tried her luck at sneaking out of the pharmacy with a free box of laxatives.
The Warwick Magistrates Court heard Lecomber removed a tag at the bottom of the laxatives before leaving the store with it in her trolley on February 26.

It was the third such offence committed by the woman over the past year, with Lecomber pleading guilty in March to defrauding a fellow mum on Facebook and stealing dozens of items from Target.

Acting Magistrate Rob Turra asked the Warwick woman “is everything of with you?”, with Lecomber telling him she had a rough time but was getting back on track.

She pleaded guilty to one count of stealing and was fined $300 and ordered to pay $15.49 to Priceline for the laxatives.

A grandmother of 18 has been dressed down by the magistrate after pleading guilty to helping herself to donations at St Vinnies.

Tammy Leanne Lee was busted on CCTV taking bags of items from the Warwick charity on October 8 last year.

The 54-year-old disability pensioner claims she went back to the store after dropping off donations and then took some items for herself.

Acting Magistrate Rob Turra chastised her behaviour.

“People donate these items - they’re not for the likes of you to just help yourself,” he said.
Lee pleaded guilty to one count of stealing and was fined $400.

Melissa Rose Martin got herself into strife when she walked out of Priceline pharmacy without paying for her items twice in a few months.

The 24-year-old went to the store in Rose City Shoppingworld on July 15 last year, where she picked up a tub of feed thickener worth $17.49 and left without paying.

Martin followed almost the exact same pattern months later on February 27, this time pocketing infant drops and immune powder worth $42.98 before leaving the pharmacy.

Defence lawyer Clare Hine said the mother was struggling with a new baby and another child with high needs at the time of her first theft, which was a “pure accident” driven by sleep deprivation.

“The second offending date … just before Christmas she was involved in a terrible road accident, and a result of that was two of her children passed away,” Ms Hine said.

“She’s been suffering PTSD since, and says she has absolutely no memory of (the theft). She’s just trying desperately to get her life back together.”

Martin pleaded guilty to two counts of unauthorised dealings with shop goods worth $150 or less.

She was fined $600 and ordered to pay $60.47 restitution. No conviction was recorded.