A Lawnton has been caught stealing hundreds of dollars worth of gardening supplies

A Lawnton man has been sent to jail for stealing a mower to clean up his backyard just in time for house inspection day.

A panicked Lawnton man who stole a lawnmower, pressure hose, blower and trimmer in order to clean up his yard before a house inspection has been given a suspended jail term.

Matthew Scott Stendrup pleaded guilty in Pine Rivers Magistrate Court on Friday April 29 for entering a premises and committing an offence.

The 41-year-old entered a Lawnton garden facility on Nov 22 2021 where he proceeded to steal over $1300 worth of gardening equipment, including a Honda Lawn mower, pressure hose, leaf blower, and trimmer.

Mathew Stendrup faced court for stealing garden equipment. Picture: Facebook

Stendrup’s lawyer claimed his client planned to return the stolen items the next day after his house inspection.

“He considered that he could take them, use them, and return them to the centre before anyone had discovered,” he said.

However upon being ordered to return the stolen items, it had appeared that the Honda lawnmower had already been re-stolen.

“(Stendrup was) unsure why the lawnmower wasn’t there but given the nature of people that came through and the history of stealing, someone had probably re-stolen it,” Stendrup’s lawyer said.

The qualified electrician committed this offence while on parole.

Stendrup was convicted and sentenced to 8 months imprisonment, suspended for a period of 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of $900 in compensation for the garden tools stolen.