Lethbridge Park’s Benjamin Harvey pleads guilty to assaulting a retail worker

A western Sydney man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a retail worker at a bottle shop. Here’s the latest.

Benjamin Harvey faced the Mt Druitt Local Court on Wednesday.

A western Sydney man has pleaded guilty to a range of offences, including assaulting a retail worker at a bottle shop.

Benjamin Harvey, 23, faced Mt Druitt Local Court via video on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to 10 offences including three counts of shoplifting, common assault, assaulting a retail worker, two counts of goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen, custody of a knife in a public place, and supply of a prohibited drug.

Harvey was described by police in court documents as “adversely” known to police with “no regard for law and his brazen acts against shop attendants”.

In June, Harvey was caught stealing at two bottle shops, Porters Liquor and Red Bottle Liquor in Surry Hills.

The Red Bottle Liquor shop in Surry Hills where Harvey assaulted the retail worker. Picture: Google Maps

On June 16, Harvey walked into Porters and went to the wine aisle, shoving a $200 bottle of red wine into his pants.

The store’s workers were alerted to what happened, with the manager attempting to block Harvey’s path but he managed to leave the store.

The next day at 7.55pm, Harvey entered the Red Bottle Liquor, near Central Station, where he was caught on CCTV camera climbing the shelves.

One of the workers approached him and saw him put a bottle of Wirra Wirra Chook Block Shiraz down his pants.

The worker confronted Harvey and the pair began to argue as the employee blocked his path.

Harvey threatened the worker, telling him “I have a knife, I will stab you” and “I have a knife down my dacks, I will f--king stab you”.

Harvey stole two bottles of red wine from two different stores.

A fight broke out between the pair, with Harvey punching the worker in the side of his face before fleeing the store.

Not long after, Harvey tried to sell the stolen bottle in the gaming area of the Aurora Hotel but was unsuccessful and eventually returned to Mt Druitt.

On June 18, Harvey reported to the police station as per his bail conditions and was arrested.

Harvey was also caught stealing a month prior, on May 3 at an IGA in Tregear, north west of Mt Druitt, where he walked in and wandered the aisles before shoving two Le Snack cheese dips into his pants.

He was also caught by police at Mt Druitt Station with a box cutter, an unknown amount of methamphetamine, 16.48g of cannabis and stolen goods.

In court on Wednesday, Harvey’s lawyer argued his client was a “young man” battling drug addiction.

The matter was heard at Mt Druitt.

“(He) has fallen down a slippery slope of drug abuse,” his lawyer said.

However, magistrate James Gibson said Harvey had a problem with dishonesty and violence.

“What this shows is that there was a period of time where drugs were clearly an issue which resulted in dishonesty and violence towards people just living their day to day life,” Mr Gibson said.

Harvey was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of six months.

Due to him having already spent six months in custody, the non-parole period was back dated and he is out on parole.