Allan McCole: Shepparton father burgled Greater Shepparton City Council depot

A 30-year-old and his accomplice nearly pulled off a heist worth thousands of dollars. But his “suspicious” behaviour hours later unravelled his grand plans.

Greater Shepparton City Council Doyles Rd depot. Photo: Google Maps.

A father-of-two who broke into the Greater Shepparton City Council depot and drove out with a $50,000 ute has being making more “stupid” decisions since a traumatic car accident, a court heard.

The Shepparton Magistrates’ Court heard Allan McCole’s mum believed her son’s personality had changed following a car accident where he developed an acquired brain injury a number of years ago.

Lawyer Luke Slater said this may have contributed to the 30-year-old’s offending on August 23, where the court heard McCole and a co-accused used bolt cutters to get into the Greater Shepparton City Council depot on Doyles Rd about 2:30am.

The two men drove their sedan into the depot, broke into a number of cars and left with the stolen ute worth $50,000 and a tools valued more than $15,000 about 4am.

A witness spotted the two travelling through Wahring about 8am who reported them acting “suspiciously”, and McCole was arrested later that morning.

McCole was on bail at the time for other offences, including in April where he drove a car high on meth with false number plates while disqualified.

In July, he was connected to an attempted burglary at Konigs Shepparton.

He pleaded guilty to charges including theft of motor vehicle and theft from motor vehicle.

Mr Slater said this was not Mr McCole’s first time in prison, with a similar criminal history extending back to 2009 when he was 20-years-old.

He said McCole was a father-of-two who had a difficult upbringing and was addicted to drugs.

But the court heard McCole’s behaviour had worsened since he was in a car accident where he suffered traumatic brain injury.

Mr Slater told the court McCole’s mum said he had been irritable and forgetful since the accident, and suggested a further report into his mental state be completed.

However, while he could not say his client’s prospects for rehab were good, Mr Slater said he had a good work ethic and was motivated to change to develop a “good meaningful relationship” with his two young kids.

Mr Slater suggested his client – who has already served 119 days on remand – be sentenced to a prison term and a community corrections order.

But Magistrate Mary Ann MacCallum described the reoffending under bail as “really serious”.

“Aside from the acquired injury brain injury, (he has) a very protracted problem with abusing drugs,” she said.

McCole will be assessed for a community corrections order and Magistrate MacCallum will receive further submissions from Mr Slater before she hands down her sentence on December 16.

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