Jye Sebastian Webb-Italia pleads guilty to stealing man’s wallet

A teenager accused of the murder of Beenleigh dad Raymond Harris in Surfers Paradise stole a wallet, hat and shoes from another man in his own home just three months earlier.

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A TEENAGER accused of the murder of Beenleigh dad Raymond Harris in Surfers Paradise stole a wallet, hat and shoes from another man in his own home just three months earlier.

Jye Sebastian Webb-Italia was on bail on a robbery charge relating to the June 2020 incident when Mr Harris was allegedly stabbed by a group of teenagers in September last year.

The 19-year-old had his robbery charge dropped to common assault and stealing when he appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

He pleaded guilty.

Webb-Italia appeared via video link wearing a dark green prison shirt and sitting with his shoulders hunched over.

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Prosecutor Bob Falconer told the court Webb-Italia had befriended a Nathan Collins in Surfers Paradise on June 4 last year.

Mr Collins invited Webb-Italia to his Surfers Paradise home the next day.

While the pair were there Webb-Italia invited a friend over.

It was then Webb-Italia leaned on Mr Collins’ chest and demanded: “Give me everything you’ve got”.

Mr Falconer said Webb-Italia and his associate then took off Mr Collins’ shoes, took his satchel and then stole his hat and wallet as they left the unit.

The court was told Mr Collins was able to alert others in the unit, who stopped the duo. They then dropped Mr Collins’ property except for his wallet.

Police later found Webb-Italia in a Holden ute with Mr Collins’ wallet.

Defence lawyer Sunil Dutt, of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Legal Service, asked for Webb-Italia to be convicted and not further punished.

Mr Dutt said Webb-Italia had been in custody since September last year on a murder charge.

It is alleged Webb-Italia and a group of teenagers stabbed Mr Harris in a Surfers Paradise street before fleeing the scene.

“He will remain in custody because he is facing the serious charge of murder,” Mr Dutt said.

The court was told Webb-Italia had a “difficult upbringing”.

Mr Dutt said Webb-Italia’s mother was sick and he had relied heavily on his older brothers but got mixed up with a “bad crowd”.

Magistrate Kerry Magee convicted and did not further punish Webb-Italia due to the time he had already spent in custody.

The murder charge will return to the court next month. He is yet to enter a plea in relation to that charge.

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