Cowes man Neil Coulton fronts Wonthaggi Magistrates’ Court, guilty of aggravated burglary
A Cowes crook was busted stealing more than $1200 worth of items before being caught trying to nick a local’s car from his garage.
Bass Coast News
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A Cowes crook travelled to small towns across Gippsland, committing a string of attempted burglaries before being thrown out of a car he was trying to steal.
Neil Andrew Coulton, who is in custody, pleaded guilty at the Wonthaggi Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to aggravated burglary, and theft from shop and possessing methamphetamine.
In court documents read by police prosecutor Tim Cavanagh, the 42-year-old tradie — who was on bail at the time — and a co-accused were in a stolen Mercedes when they travelled to Bruthen in East Gippsland on July 7.
Passenger Coulton got out of the car, smashed the front window of the Bruthen general store and stole six bottles of alcohol, Crunchie bars, an iPhone 6 and other items worth a total of $1237.
He also tried to break into NewDec Painting in Bairnsdale, and smashed the windows of a Stratford bakery and a Hobbies Plus property.
Just before 3am the next day, Coulton went to a Sale home and stole a bag of tools from the shed before nicking car keys, wallets and a handbag from the kitchen.
The resident then found Coulton in his garage trying to steal his car but he managed to drag the would-be thief out of the vehicle.
On July 19, Coulton was arrested in Cowes and found with a ziplock bag of methamphetamine.
In a police interview, Coulton told officers he wasn’t responsible for any car thefts because he “doesn’t do cars”.
Defence lawyer Elise Anselma told the court her client completed an Assessment and Referral Court (ARC) program and had a tragic upbringing, that included the death of his sister.
Ms Anselma said Coulton was also exposed to drugs at a young age.
Magistrate Jacinta Studham said Coulton’s Melbourne Cup Day offending was “bad enough” and that he had the “capacity to rehabilitate” but it wouldn’t be “smooth”.
She ordered an extended community corrections order report on Coulton — an assessment that would take six to eight weeks.
Coulton was remanded and will return to court in October for sentencing.
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