Magistrate deems alleged serial jewellery thief too great a risk to community after Cleveland theft
A magistrate has said the signs were clear that a man’s alleged thefts at three jewellers over five days were driven by an out of control need to fuel a meth addiction.
Redlands Coast
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A man who a court heard allegedly stole $15,000 in jewellery from three stores over five days has a raging drug addiction and posed too great a risk to the community to be released.
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Stacey Ariki Kopa, 36, had his bail denied when he appeared at the Cleveland Magistrates Court yesterday where he was charged with multiple counts of enter premises and commit indictable offence in addition to breach of bail, posses utensils and stealing.
The court heard Eagleby man Kopa had allegedly robbed three jewellery stores, including Stephen Dibb Jewellery in Cleveland, during a five-day spree to sustain a “raging” Ice addiction.
According to court documents the defendant, who looked forlorn after “drying out” for a week while in custody, had allegedly hit Stephen Dibb Jewellery on September 2, Prouds the Jewellers at Logan Central Plaza on August 31 and Michael Hill Jewellers at Westfield Coomera on August 29 netting a haul of $15,000 worth of jewels.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta said Kopa’s alleged offending of simply walking into a jewellery store, grabbing items and fleeing in a waiting getaway car was an indication of the “compounding effect” of a “serious, raging drug addiction” and showed just how “fuzzy” his brain had become.
The court heard Kopa failed to report for his bail on April 23 and faced other alleged bail breaches.
However, Kopa’s defence solicitor Demi Quadrio, said her client’s finalised criminal history was not significant and argued he had yet to be given the opportunity for community-based sentences.
Ms Quadrio said Kopa would live with a friend at an Alexandra Hills residence should he be granted bail and was willing to report to a police station “as many times as possible”.
Kopa was remanded in custody and is scheduled to next appear for the matter at the court on October 29.