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Manly Court: Kids’ medical records and confidential details stolen from kindy during burglary spree

The medical records and personal information of kids attending a Sydney kindy were stolen by a man on a two-month burglary and shoplifting spree. See what happened in court.

The confidential medical records of small children were stolen when a man broke into a Sydney kindy during a two-month burglary and shoplifting spree. File picture: iStock
The confidential medical records of small children were stolen when a man broke into a Sydney kindy during a two-month burglary and shoplifting spree. File picture: iStock

A man stole the medical records and personal information of children attending a Sydney kindy during a two-month burglary and shoplifting spree across the northern beaches and lower north shore.

The confidential files, which also contained emergency contact details for the kids, were pinched from the preschool at Roseville in November last year.

Manly Local Court heard on Wednesday that the ID and medical info could have ended up in the hands of the “criminal milieu”.

Levi Joseph Edwards, 30, of Narraweena, pleaded guilty to more than 20 charges including five break and enter offences, three shoplifting offences, two charges of larceny and two charges of attempted larceny.

Edwards also entered guilty pleas for custody of a knife in a public place, possessing a prohibited drug (cannabis), driving while illicit drug in system and driving without ever holding a licence.

KU The Chase Pre-school at Roseville. Picture: Supplied
KU The Chase Pre-school at Roseville. Picture: Supplied

As well as breaking into the Roseville Community Hall, which accommodates the KU The Chase Pre-school, Edwards burgled bottle shops and cafes in November and December last year.

In a police facts sheet tendered to court, officers stated that Edwards broke into the preschool on Babbage Rd some time on October 31. He ransacked several “boxes of property” and “medical bags”.

Levi Joseph Edwards also broke into premises on Manly Wharf. Picture: Rob Tuckwell
Levi Joseph Edwards also broke into premises on Manly Wharf. Picture: Rob Tuckwell

He also entered a storeroom and “stole medical records, emergency contact information and other confidential information from a folder belonging to KU The Chase,” according to the facts sheet.

Edwards also took medications from the hall including EpiPens, Ventolin and Claratyne.

On the morning after the break-in, kindy staff found cigarette butts and cans of alcohol on the floor which enabled police to use fingerprints to identify Edwards.

The court also heard that on November 2, he broke into the Lime Line Coffee Shop at Artarmon and stole $250 from the till.

Alcohol was stolen from four bottleshops on the northern beaches. Picture: Supplied
Alcohol was stolen from four bottleshops on the northern beaches. Picture: Supplied

Days later he shoplifted multiple cartons of mixed drinks and bottles of spirits from the Liquorland outlets at Manly Vale, Narraweena and on The Corso at Manly.

Early on November 2, Edwards broke into the Chatime and Gelatissimo kiosks on Manly Wharf and unsuccessfully tried to open the cash tills. He also managed to get inside the Max Brenner cafe and chocolate shop on the wharf, but failed to get into the till.

On November 18, he stole $5130 in cash and cartons of cigarettes from a premises at Milsons Point.

At 3.10am on December 1, he tried to break into the bottle shop at the Harbord Beach Hotel at Freshwater, before giving up and attempting to burgle the nearby Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club at 3.30am.

Edwards also broke into the Max Brenner cafe in Manly. Picture: Manly Daily
Edwards also broke into the Max Brenner cafe in Manly. Picture: Manly Daily

After damaging a defibrillator kiosk, he returned to the pub bottleshop and successfully managed to grab an amount of cash and load up his car with 30 bottles of alcohol, according to the facts sheet.

During his court appearance on Wednesday, Edwards applied, unsuccessfully, to have the charges dismissed on mental health grounds.

Magistrate Robyn Denes said he suffered with bipolar.

“I have no issue that Mr Edwards has a mental health condition, namely bipolar,” she said.

But Ms Denes said that he had “disengaged from treatment” and stopped taking his medication.

She said there was a “breadth of offending” including breaking into a childcare centre and stealing records.

“That’s pretty alarming, for the personal details to be in the community and in the criminal milieu,” she said.

Edwards will be sentenced in Manly court on June 24.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/manly-daily/manly-court-kids-medical-records-and-confidential-details-stolen-from-kindy-during-burglary-spree/news-story/e7c85e83c158b8bb59972f55554ffb82