Luc Bonnell, 21, sentenced for stealing prescription drugs from two north shore pharmacies
A former private school student who was using ‘ice’ at 15 and heroin at 16, has been sentenced for smashing his way into two North Shore pharmacies to steal drugs.
Manly
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A young man, who was addicted to “ice” at 15 and heroin at 16, has narrowly avoided jail for breaking into two suburban pharmacies to steal prescription drugs.
Luc Bonnell, 21, of Artarmon, used a hammer, pliers and a plank of wood to smash his way into the chemist shops on the lower North Shore — on the same morning.
The former Cranbrook student, with an accomplice, made off with dozens of boxes of medications, including potentially addictive anti-anxiety and heavy duty painkilling drugs, from the pharmacies at North Sydney and McMahons’ Point early on January 27.
Bonnell, who was high on drugs at the time, was arrested after the noise of glass breaking woke up a neighbour who called triple-0.
Unemployed Bonnell, who was recently living at a drug rehabilitation facility, pleaded guilty in Manly Local Court to one count of aggravated break and enter dwelling in company (steal less than $60,000) and one count of break and enter a dwelling.
The court heard that Bonnell broke into Drew’s Pharmacy in Elizabeth Plaza, North Sydney, just after midnight on January 27.
Then at 5am the same day, along with another man, he managed to get inside Blues Point Pharmacy, on Blues Point Rd, McMahon’s Point.
In a facts sheet tendered to court, police stated that just after 12am Bonnell was captured on CCTV, outside Drew’s Pharmacy, carrying a plank of wood he found at a nearby construction site.
He used the plank to prise open the pharmacy’s front door before going to a storeroom for 20 minutes before he removed several boxes of drugs and fled the premises.
At 5.01am, Bonnell and another man, who has also been charged, were captured on CCTV outside Blues Point Pharmacy. Bonnell was wearing a surgical mask and gloves. He was carrying a hammer and what appeared to be a pair of pliers.
Police stated in the facts sheet that Bonnell unsuccessfully tried to use the tools to prise open the glass sliding front door.
“Following this (Bonnell) stands up and throws the hammer at the glass door, causing it to crack,” police stated.
He then hit the glass twice with the hammer before kicking a hole in the door. He then pulled more glass from the door to make a hole large enough for him to crawl inside. The second man stayed outside to act as a lookout
Bonnell then ran to the drugs’ storage area and rummaged through the shelves and drawers before removing boxes of Ativan, Lorazepam-Mylan, Adizan, Lyrica and Colgout.
At the same time a nearby resident had been woken up by sound of smashing glass and called police.
Bonnell, who police described as “intoxicated”, and the other man were arrested a short time later “attempting to hide just behind the pharmacy”.
Police found 24 boxes of prescribed medications in their possession.
Magistrate Robyn Denes was told that Bonnell had served four months on remand in jail after his arrest and stints in rehab facilities between April and November.
Bonnell told Ms Denes that he started using cannabis at aged 12 before using methamphetamine when he was 15 years old and then heroin at 16.
He said he was thankful that he had the chance to attend rehabilitation courses.
“Every time I’ve been in jail, I’ve been on prescription drugs,” he said.
“(There) is now a light at the end of the tunnel.”
His Legal Aid solicitor said Bonnell “was a man who’s demonstrated some significant change”.
“He needs this behind him so he can move on,” he said.
Magistrate Denes sentenced Bonnell to 18-months jail, but with the term to be served in the community as an Intensive Corrections Order.
He must also complete 100 hours of community service.
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