David Joy: Ballina man jailed for stealing and credit card offences

Christmas is usually a time for giving, but a NSW north coast man decided to take instead, committing a string of stealing offences and an incident at a bank branch.

Grafton Courthouse Picture: Adam Hourigan

A NSW north coast man has been caught on camera three times during a Christmas crime spree in which he used a stolen credit card, nicked items from another man’s car and loitering outside a bank branch from which he was banned.

Ballina man David Kenneth Joy, 44, faced Grafton Local Court on April 5 where he pleaded guilty to larceny, dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and breaching an apprehended violence order.

The court heard Joy had gone on a silly season crime spree in which he spent $94.25 on a stolen credit card, stole cash, clothing and CDs worth $450 and rode his bike outside the ANZ branch in Grafton – where he was banned due to his negative involvement with staff in 2020.

Joy represented himself in court, where he talked over the magistrate, claimed there was a police set up and accused the magistrate of making up the charges like “making up a spell all huffy puffy magical dragon.”

Despite pleading guilty on all charges he constantly argued and swore at the court and Magistrate Kathy Crittenden.

His mother who was in attendance left mid way through the proceedings.

He responded by accusing the magistrate of upsetting his mother.

“F**king charming,” he said.

“You’ve distraught me mother.

“Me poor f**ng mother.”

Court documents tendered to Grafton Local Court reveal Joy pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage after using a stolen NAB visa credit card between 1pm on December 24 and 7.20am on December 25 at Coles Express Service Station, Grafton.

CCTV footage shows he attended the service station in the company of a female young person and purchased goods to the total of $94.25.

He was later in custody at Grafton Police Station for another matter when the police approached him in his cell to discuss the fraud, and he was ultimately charged.

He was also convicted for larceny after stealing property to the value of $450 being $200 cash, clothing, a suitcase and 10 CDs.

The property was stolen from a vehicle parked behind the United Service Station, Big River Way, South Grafton on December 28.

CCTV revealed Joy attempting to unlock the vehicle and riding away on a pushbike with a black suitcase.

He further pleaded guilty to a third charge of breaching an apprehended violence order on January 13 at the ANZ Bank, Grafton Shopping World, originally put in place to protect an ANZ staff member.

Off-duty police spotted Joy on his pushbike at about 8:50pm on January 13 at the Grafton Shoppingworld entrance adjacent to the ANZ Bank.

Joy rode away and the incident was captured on the ANZ branch’s internal CCTV cameras.

Ms Crittenden noted there was a significant criminal history including several terms of imprisonment imposed for dishonesty offences.

She found imprisonment was the only fitting sentence.

Joy was given an aggregate sentence of three months, taking into account four months for the charges relating to the stolen property and two months for the charges relating to the stolen credit card.

He received a conviction with no further penalty for the AVO breach.