Alex Sangster: Chronic robber locked up for Balgownie burglaries

A young man has been sent to jail for his latest string of offending, which has left a judge “guarded” about his prospects of rehabilitation.

A Bellambi burglar has been jailed for more than three years following two before dawn break-ins and Balgownie in September last year.

Alex Sangster, 20, fronted Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday via video link to be sentenced following guilty pleas to two counts of aggravated break and enter.

Judge Andrew Haesler heard Sangster had been charged 35 times and convicted of other serious offences, including other robberies, before sentencing him to three years and one month behind bars with a non-parole period of one year and six months.

Sangster‘s robberies occurred sometime around 5am on Tuesday, September 7 when he targeted homes on Peace Cres and The Parkway in Balgownie with the two addresses less than 100m apart.

One of the people living at the Peace Cres address heard a loud noise at about 5.30am, but they didn‘t think anything of it, however, on further inspection later that morning they noticed the garage door and cupboards had been opened.

The thief had made away with three items, namely a Makita hedge trimmer, an angle grinder and a Blue Dolphin torch, with the residents also noticing the damage to the garage door caused by the break-in.

A resident at The Parkway abode was about to leave for work when they heard a loud bang, but they presumed It was the wind.

However, a neighbour alerted them someone had run off with a motorbike and had dropped a bundle of items in their front yard.

The items included an Asus ROG gaming laptop, a couple of pairs of sneakers and a Bluetooth speaker.

Alex Sangster was sentenced in Wollongong District Court on Wednesday.

The motorbike stolen was a 1997 Honda CR5000 worth approximately $20,000 and two push bikes.

The resident noticed the side door of their garage had been opened with a paint scraper, believed to be the break-in implement, left nearby.

That night, Sangster also tried to rob two other addresses, one on Peace Cres and one on The Parkway.

At one of the addresses, the homeowner saw their gate had been damaged and a rip in the fly screen of a rear window.

The Blue Dolphin torch was located at this address and returned to its rightful owner.

The other attempted robbery involved Sangster breaking into a garage and rummaging through two cars, leaving items from the glovebox compartments scattered throughout.

The owners didn‘t report anything as missing.

Sangster was arrested two weeks later at the Piccadilly Motor Inn, where he was staying after his mother had kicked him out.

The robber was conveyed to Wollongong Police Station, where he was charged.

The hedge trimmer and angle grinder were located and returned.

In court on Wednesday, Judge Haesler described Sangster as being “considerably immature” and having an ”inability to understand the severity of what he had done”.

The judge said Sangster “didn‘t have a normal upbringing” and had taken up drugs from an early age which ”never gave him a chance to settle”.

Judge Haesler said the offender needed drug rehabilitation, but he was “guarded about his prospects”.

“I‘m not pretending his chances of rehabilitation are good,” Judge Haesler said.

“But the effort must be made for his benefit and the community‘s [benefit].”

With time already served, Sangster will be eligible for parole in May 2023. However, Judge Haesler warned he must be on his best behaviour.

“If there is any breach, you should keep the little photograph up on your cell as you‘ll be back in custody,” he said.