Rodney Need steals church collection money during burglary spree, Ringwood court hears

A Box Hill South man was not concerned by divine judgement when he broke into a local church twice in hopes of stealing collection money before hiding in the pews to avoid detection.

Need targeted St Paul's Lutheran Church in Box Hill South.

A Box Hill South man has terrorised his local church and two businesses during a month-long unsophisticated burglary spree to fund his drug addiction.

Rodney Allan Need, 55, pleaded guilty to multiple burglary charges in the Ringwood Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning.

During a month-long burglary spree beginning in October last year, Need terrorised two Box Hill businesses and St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Box Hill South.

Need first broke into the church at 1.27am on November 3, 2023.

He used a key to open the church door before rummaging through the main office.

Need fronted Ringwood Court on Tuesday morning via video link.

Need stole $20 from a collection plate in the office and fled the scene.

A church caretaker was able to show police CCTV footage of the burglary.

Less than a month later, Need once again tried his luck stealing from the church.

He forced entry to the building by smashing the front door and a side window and hid in the pews after he was startled by a parishioner.

The 55-year-old then fled the church empty-handed when the police was called.

Need’s lawyer Rainer Martini said stealing the church collection was “not edifying at all”.

“The church most likely would have given him the collection money for food if he had of asked,” he said.

The court heard in-between his church break-ins, Need broke into a Box Hill South home, a Box Hill restaurant and a beauty business.

One November morning he checked his bank balance before walking into a beauty business and stealing $100 in a cashbox.

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An employee, who was in the treatment room with a client, ran after the thief attempting to get the money back, to which Need yelled “get f---ed” as he fled to the train station.

A couple of days later, a woman came home to find her home completely ransacked.

All her drawers and cupboards were left open and an iPad, jewellery and bank cards were missing.

Need was sprung using a stolen bank card on CCTV at a milk bar to buy cigarettes and lollies.

Four days later, Need forced entry into a Box Hill restaurant and tried to open the cash register but fled when a staff member arrived.

Later that day, he was arrested at his home and bailed.

Mr Martini said his client was “not the brightest, and he would accept that”.

He also told the court the burglaries were to finance Need’s drug addiction.

Magistrate Caroline Boult said Need funded his drug use by “committing crimes against victims in the community”.

“You have committed burglaries consistently throughout your life,” she said.

“Victims of your crime probably wish you would be locked up and the key thrown away.”

Ms Boult sentenced Need to ten months in jail without parole, in addition to the 152 days he had already served in custody.