Lalor Park’s Christopher Meddings pleads guilty to stealing electronics at childcare centres, house, scout hall
The crime spree of a thief who stole several tablets and laptops from a scout hall, childcare centre, preschool and house came to an end when police busted him hiding in a wardrobe.
Blacktown
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A magistrate was less than impressed with a western Sydney man who broke into a scout hall, a childcare centre, a preschool and a home, stealing electronics worth thousands of dollars.
Lalor Park’s Christopher Meddings faced Blacktown Local Court on Thursday, when he pleaded guilty to three counts of break and entering a house, two counts of receive/disposing stolen property, furnishing false information/statement to licensee and break and entering a house with intent to steal.
Documents tendered to the court state Meddings, who has an “extensive history” of property related offences, broke into a house on Stephen St, Blacktown, between 10pm on September 27 and 8am on September 28.
After forcing his way in through a rear door, Meddings stole camera equipment and an HP EliteBook 630 laptop.
The 35-year-old later sold his stolen goods to a pawn broker on Artillery Cres, Seven Hills, for $200.
Less than a week later, Meddings broke into the Kings Langley 2nd Scout Hall on Venn Ave, Lalor Park.
After switching off the hall’s power, Meddings ransacked several locked rooms in the building and stole multiple items including three GPS equipment, four Samsung tablets, six Lenovo tablets and a laptop.
On October 3, CCTV footage from the Aceben Pawn Broker on Main St, Blacktown, captured Meddings and a known female associate trying to sell the estimated $5000 worth of stolen goods.
When Meddings tried to sell the laptop, the pawn broker’s system flagged it as a known stolen item.
Nearly two weeks later, CCTV footage at the Rose of Sharon Childcare and Preschool in Blacktown captured Meddings removing fuses from an electric box before jumping over the metal fence at 1.03am.
Forcing his way inside through a rear door, Meddings soon abandoned the property without stealing anything.
About 40 minutes later, Meddings is seen via CCTV cameras attempting to break into Kermi’s Kindy childcare centre at Lalor Park.
Meddings was unsuccessful in his “fruitless” attempts and left the preschool after several minutes.
Court documents state Meddings would “only commit these offences in a certain geographical zone that is in walking distance to his residential address”.
On November 12, Blacktown police arrested Meddings, who had been hiding in a wardrobe when police came for him.
In court on Thursday, magistrate Brian van Zuylen refused Meddings’ bail application and slammed his actions.
“This is a man who says he’s a victim of child abuse and yet steals from children,” Mr van Zuylen said.
Meddings is to be sentenced at the same court on November 28.
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