Serial thief James Everett faces Ballarat court over thefts from JB Hi-Fi, Dan Murphy’s, supermarkets

A Ballarat man was banned from every JB Hi-Fi store in Australia after he repeatedly stole items to sell for drugs.

James Everett, 41, pleaded guilty to a dozen charges at Ballarat Magistrates' Court on January 29, 2025 from a spate of thefts around town. Picture: Facebook

A Ballarat man who “just takes what he can” from shops and sells stolen items to buy drugs returned to loot an electronics outlet despite being banned from every Australian store.

James Everett, 41, pleaded guilty to a dozen charges at Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday stemming from a spate of thefts around town.

From May to July 2024, Everett went to JB Hi-Fi in Ballarat five times, nabbing a radio on the first occasion, and then DVD box sets the other times, worth hundreds of dollars altogether.

He entered the same shop in October, after having been banned from every Australian store, and took a bluetooth speaker and microphone.

Everett took DVD box sets, a bluetooth speaker, and a microphone from JB Hi-Fi. Picture: File

In August, he took two tubs of yoghurt, custard, milk, and toiletries from Woolworths in Sebastopol.

At another time he stole a $1000 helmet from a shop in Wendouree, telling staff who asked him to return the item to “f--- off”.

He stole from Coles and Woolworths in Ballarat Central, and took a $119 bottle of whisky from Dan Murphy’s.

Everett was convicted and sentenced to 21 days’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 12-month community correction order.

“You’ve got to try to find a way to live without drugs and crime or else you’re going to ruin the rest of your life,” Magistrate Ron Saines told him.