Bailey Clifford, 19, guilty of spate of thefts, burglaries across Geelong and Ocean Grove

A serial thief’s armed break-in at a retail giant’s Geelong-based headquarters was the end of an extensive three-month stealing spree, a court has heard.

Geelong teenager Bailey Clifford, 19.

A knife-wielding serial thief nabbed filling a shopping trolley full of goods inside Cotton On’s North Geelong headquarters has been spared a prison term.

Bailey Clifford, 19, has spent a week behind bars after being arrested over the break-in at the Shepherd Court global support centre on May 31.

The Geelong Magistrates Court was told how Clifford and a co-accused went unnoticed by patrolling security guards despite twice activating alarms at about 4.30am.

The pair were wheeling trolleys loaded with items, including computers, when they were spotted by a staff member arriving for work at 5.45am.

The court heard it followed a spate of thefts committed by Clifford across Geelong and Ocean Grove across a three-month period, including threatening a victim with a knife in Belmont.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Chris Sinfield told the court he “pointed a knife” at the victim before being tackled to the ground after he was found rummaging through a vehicle on Clyde Street in the early hours of April 24.

A backpack dropped during the ordeal contained a number of stolen personal cards from unknown people, sunglasses, radios and a necklace.

Cotton On’s North Geelong headquarters. Picture: Alan Barber

A month earlier the court was told Clifford, while staying at the Riverview Caravan Park in Ocean Grove, stole an e-bike valued at $2000 along with a lumber jacket, two radios, a set of hedge clippers, a canon camera and sunglasses, also valued at around $2000.

Defence lawyer Stephanie Mawby told the court her client’s first experience in custody since the Cotton On offence “had been an eye opener”.

He pleaded guilty to a number of burglary and theft related charges.

“He hates himself for his behaviour and he feels like he has taken everything for granted,” she said.

Magistrate Ann McGarvie, in sparing him a prison term, said she hoped he used the leniency as a second chance at life.

“This can be a blip in your life that you may look back on and say going to prison for six days was a good thing,” she said.

A teary Clifford, speaking via video link from the Melbourne Remand Centre, said “

“I am going to turn my life around from this point.”

He was convicted and placed on a 12 month community corrections order.

Originally published as Bailey Clifford, 19, guilty of spate of thefts, burglaries across Geelong and Ocean Grove