Nathan James Holder has parole revoked after ‘brazen’ attempt to steal more than $300 in groceries

Despite not receiving a prison sentence, a Toowoomba man is going to spend considerable time behind bars after he tried to make off with more than $300 in groceries. Find out what happened in court.

A Toowoomba man’s “brazen” attempt to steal more than $300 worth of groceries has seen him pay a hefty price.

About 5.50pm on July 30 this year Nathan James Holder entered Woolworths at The Ridge and loaded a trolley with $322.95 of grocery items, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told on Thursday.

While inside the store the 26-year-old placed some items in bags before attempting to take the trolley through the registers, police prosecutor Anita Page said.

After he was confronted by staff the court was told Holder abandoned the trolley but took with him two full bags of grocery items.

When stopped by staff Holder claimed that he had already paid for the items in his possession, but after presenting a receipt to staff checks revealed that none of the items on the receipt matched what he had in his possession, and the court was told Holder left the store empty-handed.

Ms Page said Holder told staff that he was waiting for a money transfer to arrive in his account, but it never did, and when asked why he left the store without the items that he had claimed to have previously bought he said he was “sick of waiting” so left.

Holder pleaded guilty to attempted stealing, and during his sentencing on Thursday it was revealed that he had been released from custody on parole just five days prior.

Solicitor Jag MacDonald told the court his client’s parole was suspended on August 2, and he was taken into custody on August 9, and that his latest offending meant that he was likely to serve out the full period of his previous prison sentence, which is set to expire on May 11 next year.

“He certainly knows the effects of his actions as they are the reason he is in custody,” Mr MacDonald said.

Acting magistrate Rowan Silva said the “brazen” and “foolish” attempt to steal groceries was only compounded by the jumbled story he gave staff to try and justify his actions.

Despite spending 37 days in pre-sentence custody acting magistrate Silva declined to declare that as time served and instead convicted but not further punished Holder, noting that he was at the mercy of the parole board as to his release.

Originally published as Nathan James Holder has parole revoked after ‘brazen’ attempt to steal more than $300 in groceries