Kyle Beattie: Langwarrin burglary linked to thief who stole a Paddington Bear stuffed toy
A thug couldn’t resist taking a strange souvenir when he ransacked a family home in Melbourne’s south east. But the memento, a stuffed toy, proved key to his undoing, a court has heard.
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A young thug ransacked a family home in Melbourne’s south east and stole a strange souvenir that would later link him to the crime, a court has heard.
Kyle Beattie, 22, pulled up with two mates in a stolen BMW to his victim’s Langwarrin home about lunchtime on July 29 last year, forcing their way through a side door, the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court heard on October 9.
The thieves raided the house, stealing two Mac laptops, an iPad, purses, bags, jewellery, passports, $3000 cash and keys to three cars.
But before the group left the house, Beattie, unable to resist, snatched up a Paddington Bear stuffed toy and smuggled it out with the rest of the loot, Leading Senior Constable Simon Fisher told the court.
Days later, when police pulled him over in relation to a separate incident, officers searched his car and spotted the stuffed toy.
The search also revealed other items from the burglary.
Beattie, who was on bail at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty to charges of trespass and theft.
He was also sentenced on outstanding charges including theft, drug possession, property damage, car theft, driving without a licence, dangerous driving, and weapon possession.
Beattie’s Legal Aid lawyer Jonathan Makary told the court his client was serving an eight-year jail stint imposed by the County Court in September.
Magistrate Mary-Anne MacCallum said the sheer number of crimes Beattie was charged with was disturbing for someone so young.
“The main problem for you has been your addiction to methamphetamine, and your inability to curb that addiction has led you to the position that you’re currently in,” Ms MacCallum said.
“I agree it’s not a lengthy history but for his age his criminal history is of a serious and similar nature to that which he is being sentenced to today.”
Ms MacCallum sentenced Beattie to 11 months jail, to be served concurrently with his County Court sentence, and ordered he pay $500 restitution to one of his victims.
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