Trial of alleged jewellery thief Darren Hookey continues with closing submissions

An alleged jewel thief’s barrister claims face coverings were common at the height of the pandemic, dismissing the fact he was arrested with face masks after a series of brazen heists.

An alleged jewel thief was merely possessing items commonly used during the pandemic when he was arrested with surgical masks like the ones he is accused of wearing a brazen series of heists across Sydney, his barrister has argued.

Defence counsel Imogen Hogan also dismissed the prosecution’s reliance on circumstantial evidence as “dangerous”, telling Parramatta District Court during closing submissions on Tuesday that it posed “significant problems”.

Ms Hogan’s client, Darren Hookey, is facing a judge-alone trial, at which she is arguing prosecutors cannot prove the 37-year-old was the hammer-wielding thief who broke into and stole from a series of Sydney jewellery stores in January 2022.

Hookey has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence while armed.

The Crown told the court face masks and dark track pants with an insignia on the left hip were among items seized when the 37-year-old was arrested in a Holden Jazz at Toongabbie on January 23, 2022.

A thief alleged to be Darren Hookey smashes the glass at Konstan Jewellers in Dulwich Hill.

Hookey had allegedly worn the pants during thefts at Prouds in Stockland Merrylands and Mikasa in Pemulwuy before prosecutors claim he donned them again for a break and enter at Hills Fruit World in Seven Hills Plaza, where he is accused of stealing $14,000.

CCTV stills from the incident at Konstan Jewellers in Dulwich Hill on January 18, 2022.

However, Ms Hogan said the pants were common clothes and face masks were “not unusual” during the “height of Covid”.

She submitted the prosecution case focused on a break and enter that involved multiple thieves at Konstan Jewellers, in Dulwich Hill, and tied “everything up with a bow” from there.

Part of the Crown case is that Konstan Jewellers owner George Konstantinidis recognised Hookey, having claimed the 37-year-old tried to sell him a scooter the day before the January 18, 2022 incident.

But Ms Hogan argued Mr Konstantinidis suffered from poor eyesight and did not have time to register details of the face of the thief alleged to be Hookey.

Konstan Jewellers owner George Konstantinidis speaks to a man, alleged to be Darren Hookey, a day before the violent break and enter at his store.

The court also heard witnesses had described the offenders as teenagers, an age bracket with which Mr Konstantinidis agreed.

Earlier that day, Crown prosecutor Yvette Prowse raised what she had described as several “consistencies” between the break and enters and items found in the car during Hookey’s arrest.

They included DNA on a glove, and items found in the Holden Jazz including a lump hammer and a grey hoodie matching one worn by an offender captured on CCTV smashing the glass at Konstan Jewellers. and pencil cases that allegedly contained cash takings from the fruit shop .

Two people are captured breaking into Pemulwuy Marketplace on January 20, 2022 at 2.07am. The man at the door is allegedly Darren Hookey.

The pair is captured at Mikasa's Jewellers a minute later.

The court heard there was also a red and white backpack, consistent with one that had featured in the theft from Prouds.

The day after he allegedly broke into the Seven Hills fruit shop, wearing an Everlast jumper, the court heard Hookey had been captured by security cameras spending more than $600 at JD Sports, Foot Locker and Connor at Westpoint Blacktown.

There is no dispute that the man on the shopping spree, wearing an Everlast jumper, was Hookey.

Darren Hookey at JD Sports at Westpoint Blacktown.

In addition to the aggravated break and enter charges, Hookey has also pleaded not guilty to two counts of entering a building or land with intention to commit an indictable offence two counts of breaking and entering at a house and stealing at a value of than less than $60,000, breaking and entering at a house and stealing at a value of more than $60,000, and dealing with property that was the proceeds of crime in quantities valued at less than $100,000 and less than $5000.

Judge Huw Baker is expected to deliver verdicts this week.