Spider-Man thief jailed after climbing the outside of Gold Coast high rises

A man with a head for heights has been dubbed the ‘Spider-Man’ thief for his unusual way of gaining access to units. But his Spidey sense didn’t stop him being caught.

A SPIDER-MAN thief who climbed the outside of Gold Coast highrises to sneak into buildings and steal bank cards, wallets and cash has been jailed.

Kevin Glen Jones, 33, climbed 18 storeys to get into a Burleigh Heads unit in May last year to take $450 cash and a wallet while the residents were sleeping.

He also took $200 cash, a wallet, keys and a security fob for the apartment from two New Zealand tourists on the eighth floor.

Neither units had locked their balcony door as they thought they were high enough to be safe from thieves.

The Southport Magistrates Court was told Jones then used the cards and cash to buy alcohol and groceries.

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Jones on Friday pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, six counts of fraud and eight counts of receiving tainted property.

All the crimes took place between May 28 and June 29 last year.

Jones was on parole at the time.

Magistrate Kerry Magee sentenced Jones to 18 months in prison with parole eligibility yesterday. She also ordered he pay $650 in compensation.

“It’s a significant invasion of privacy,” she said. “The victims must have been extremely alarmed to find their apartments had been broken into.”

Jones has been behind bars since July last year.

The court was told when police raided Jones’ Sunshine Coast unit in July last year they also found property stolen from the second, 13th and 21st floor of a Surfers Paradise highrise.

An unknown person had climbed the outside of the building to gain entry to the Thornton Street complex.

Jones’ lawyer, Jodi Allen, of Buckland Allen Criminal Lawyers, said the Spider-man had alcohol and drug problems.

She said while in prison Jones had undertaken an anti-ice program.

Jones will have to apply to be released through the parole board.

When released he plans to go into drug and alcohol rehabilitation before starting work as a landscaper.