Brodie Denning admits to robbery spree across Macarthur, Illawarra businesses
A 24-year-old man funded his drug habit by breaking into 24 businesses including Subway, Liquorland and Frangos, hiding under a tarp in his backyard when police came knocking.
Macarthur
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A Campbelltown man has pleaded guilty to breaking into more than 20 restaurants over two weeks from Sydney to the Illawarra to fund his drug habit.
Brodie Denning, 24, faced Campbelltown Local Court via AVL from Bathurst Correctional Centre on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to the break and enter of 24 businesses between September 25 and October 4, 2020.
Police looked for Denning for more than two weeks following the crime spree and went to his girlfriend’s house on the morning of October 20 where they searched the property.
Officers found Denning hiding in the backyard under a tarp before searching him and finding 38 strips of Buprenorphine. He was taken to Campbelltown Police Station and admitted to being involved in the break-and-enters.
“He committed the offences to feed his drug habit, to keep himself normal and to get negative thoughts out of his head,” court documents state.
Denning told police he was thinking about only himself and understood business owners would have had to pay the insurance on the damages, according to court documents.
LEPPINGTON BREAK-AND-ENTERS
Documents tendered to the court detail how the offending began at 3.35am on Friday September 25, 2020 when Denning pulled up outside The Crispy Bird at Emerald Hills shopping centre at Leppington, and walked to the back door wearing gloves and a white balaclava.
Denning smashed the glass door open with a mallet and entered through the gap before taking two cash registered valued at $250 each, and $60 worth of coins.
Later that same night he went to the nearby 14 North East Vietnamese restaurant at the centre and smashed the side window of the restaurant before rummaging around inside and stealing a cash register worth $250 and $600 in cash, three bottles of whiskey and a bottle of vodka.
According to court documents, Denning then walked towards the Thai Emerald restaurant in the same shopping centre and attempted to enter through a window but had no luck.
He ran back to his car and grabbed the mallet, breaking a glass window and climbing through before taking a cash register valued at $250 with $60 cash and a tip jar with $80 cash.
Minutes later he walked toward the front door of the nearby Amano Ristorante, again using the mallet to smash through the glass panel in the front door. He smashed an alarm keypad and put a hole in the wall, but couldn’t find any items to steal so he drove away.
GREGORY HILLS BREAK-AND-ENTERS
Five days later on September 30, Denning drove to the Gregory Hills Town Centre at 2.20am with an unknown accomplice and parked the car, wearing a red hood over his head and face and socks on his hands.
He carried a crowbar to the front of Espresso Warriors and looked inside before smashing through the door of the cafe but left minutes later empty-handed.
Just minutes later Denning walked to the front of Product of Italy and began to kick the front door of the shop, eventually smashing the glass, according to court documents. He tried to pry an electronic safe open with the crowbar and managed to remove it despite it being bolted to the floor.
Denning left the restaurant with the safe, valued at $500 and containing $2650, delivery driver bags worth $1000 and three money boxes worth $200.
Following the break-in at Product of Italy, Denning and the other man drove to the nearby XS Espresso at Prestons Shopping Complex where the pair smashed through the front door and went inside.
According to court documents, Denning rummaged through the store for a short time and again removed a safe from the floor and put it in his car.
Denning took the safe valued at $155, about $3700 in cash, keys, blank gift vouchers and a remote control that operated the blinds.
He then walked over to the Golden Valley Restaurant where he smashed in the front door and broke open the cash register, taking $500.
Minutes later Denning went to the Thaidition Restaurant where he again smashed through the front door and rummaged around inside. According to court documents, he stole the cash register worth $800 and $200 in cash.
ORAN PARK, DENHAM COURT BREAK-AND-ENTERS
About 3.15am on October 1, Denning drove into the Oran Park Podium carpark near The Grid Cafe wearing a grey head-covering and walked towards the cafe with the crowbar. He smashed the front door of the cafe and stole a cash drawer valued at $100 with $737 in cash.
Later that morning Denning drove to Mezzapica Cakes and shoulder charged through the front door before stealing just $10 in coins from a tip jar.
About 5.10am the same morning, Denning drove to the Willowdale Shopping Complex and smashed through the front door of LiquorLand with the crowbar. He rummaged through the shop for a short time but left empty-handed.
Just three minutes later he tried his luck again at The Shed Cafe and smashed through the door with the crowbar, stealing a cash drawer valued at $100, $1500 in cash, two Apple iPad Airs valued at $1000 each and the a safe, worth $300.
According to court documents, Denning later went to Yeeros Kebab and Pizza House and smashed his way inside, taking a cash register worth $250 and $500 worth of cash.
ILLAWARRA BREAK-AND-ENTERS
On Saturday October 1, Denning drove to Subway at Thirroul wearing a white hooded jumper, a white glove on his left hand and a red glove on his right. He was with another unknown male.
He broke through the front door and the pair went into the office and tried to open the safe with the crowbar but had no luck, according to court documents.
Minutes later the pair tried their luck at Crust Pizza in Thirroul, breaking through the door with the crowbar before opening the safe and taking $2550.
THE HILLS BREAK-AND-ENTERS
About 3.10am on October 4, Denning drove to Gloria Jeans at Bella Vista, wearing a dark hooded jumper and a face covering he removed the glass panel from the front door and entered the store. He found a safe located in the office and put it in his car, stealing it from the premises.
Denning managed to take the safe worth $1300 and containing $2800 in cash and a cash register worth $300 and containing $580.
While Denning was breaking into Gloria Jeans, court documents state two unknown males part of the same criminal enterprise approached the nearby shops of Frangos and Bella Vista Barbershop.
They managed to get inside both stores but nothing was stolen from Frangos. The pair stole five pairs of hairdressing scissors valued at $480 each and hair clippers worth $200 from the barber shop.
About 4.05am that same morning Denning and an unknown man went to Subway at Castle Hill, removing the glass panel from the front door before entering and breaking down an internal door. They left empty-handed.
Half-an-hour later, the pair went to the Fortuna Gardens Chinese restaurant where Denning smashed the front door.
The pair stole two 1.25 litre bottles of Jim Beam, four 1.75 litre bottles of Jack Daniesl, 700ml bottle of Royal Salute, a cash drawer valued at $275 and $1400 in cash, according to court documents.
At 4.41am the pair went to Fortuna Gardens and approached the front door of the cafe, shattering the glass using the crowbar but left empty-handed.
COURT APPEARANCE
Denning appeared at Campbelltown Local Court via AVL from Bathurst Correctional Centre on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to the 24 offences including multiple counts of aggravated break and enter in dwelling with intent to steal and possess a prohibited drug.
He will remain behind bars on remand and will reappear in court next month for sentence.
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