Nicholas James Hruska and Casey Maree Sardoz allegedly stole Dyson vacuums in crime spree
A Victorian couple claim they were too poor to return home from a Gold Coast holiday. So they allegedly resorted to an unusual crime spree targeting a popular household item.
Crime and Court
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A LOVED-UP couple allegedly resorted to stealing and pawning Dyson vacuum cleaners across southeast Queensland because they were too poor to return to Victoria.
Police claim the “prime mover” behind the three-month crime spree worth thousands was on the run from Victorian Police.
Nicholas James Hruska, 33, was today denied bail in the Southport Magistrates Court for 16 charges including stealing and fraud.
His partner Casey Maree Sardoz, 32, was granted bail for the same alleged offences.
Hruska was allegedly spotted stealing a Dyson vacuum cleaner on the Gold Coast in July.
Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said Hruska “seems to be the prime mover” behind the scheme. “(The charges) involved him taking high-value items and marching out of the store without any attempt to pay.”
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Mr Sinclair said Sardoz then sold the items at pawn shops.
It is alleged the couple did this at stores such as The Good Guys and Harvey Norman from the Gold Coast to Toowoomba between July 27 and September 5.
The pair were caught on CCTV cameras, the court was told. The couple allegedly stole at least three Dyson vacuums.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Davina Cochrane said Hruska was wanted in Victoria for a number of matters.
She told the court Victorian Police had not provided any details about those matters.
Defence lawyer Mollie Roper, of Cooper Maloy Legal, said Hruska denied the allegations.
“The (police) objection to bail notes that my client travelled to Queensland in July after a media campaign to flush him out of Victoria,” she said. “My client said he came here on a holiday.”
Ms Roper said Sardoz, a hairdresser, claimed the couple had run out of money during their trip and were unable to return to Victoria.
Magistrate Sinclair noted Hruska had accumulated eight pages of criminal history since 2016. He denied bail.
Magistrate Sinclair said it was his experience that someone “in the grips of a drug addiction” would not comply with any bail conditions imposed.
Magistrate Sinclair granted Sardoz bail on the conditions she not contact Hruska, reside at her home in Norlane, Geelong and report to police three times a week. Sardoz has no criminal history.
Hurska’s matter will return to court on October 15 while Sardoz will return to court on November 12.
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