Justin Stuart Murdoch: Robbed disabled Junee man hundreds of dollars in cash and property

A man has robbed a disabled man of hundreds of dollars in cash and property while he recovered at Wagga Base Hospital

The unit block Murdoch broke into. Picture - Google Maps.

A 27-year-old man is behind bars after he broke into a Junee man’s unit and ransacked his bedroom before stealing $700 in cash and two security hard drives.

Justin Stuart Murdoch faced Wagga Local Court on Wednesday after he was charged with break and enter – committing an indictable offence and unlawful entry onto prescribed lands.

Court documents reveal between July 29 and 31, Murdoch broke into the victim’s ground floor unit located on Broadway St Junee by smashing a bedroom window.

Murdoch then entered the home through the window and began ransacking his bedroom drawers.

The victim, who is on a disability pension, was not home at the time of the invasion as he was recovering at Wagga Base Hospital after he was involved in an accident.

Court documents reveal the victim was alerted to the break in by a close friend and returned home on July 31 to see the extent of the destruction.

The victim was recovering in hospital at the time of the incident. Picture: AAP/Michael Frogley

Upon inspection the victim discovered $700 in cash that he had set aside to buy motorcycle parts had been stolen along with two hard drives to his security system.

The man reported the incident to police and police took evidence from the home including a bedroom doona covered in blood stains.

DNA checks reveal the blood matched that of Murdoch who had an “extensive criminal history”.

Murdoch also faced another charge at court after he entered other people‘s property while trying to flee from police in November.

The court heard Murdoch was on parole at the time of both incidents.

Murdoch‘s lawyer told the court he was an aboriginal man who had a rough upbringing and was passed around to “family member to family member” when he was a child.

The court also heard Murdoch began using drugs at 14 years old and had recently lost twin babies.

Magistrate Chris Halburd told the court the community were “thoroughly sick and tired” of people having their homes broken into.

He was sentenced to 13 months in prison with a non parole period of seven months.