Thief Steven Bjorksten stole trolley loads of bedsheets and sold them to a brothel
An enterprising thief stole high-end bedsheets so he could flog them to a brothel, a court has heard.
Inner South
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An enterprising thief stole high-end bedsheets so he could flog them to a brothel, a court has heard.
The Caulfield North man and an accomplice went to shopping centre homeware stores and stole dozens of bedding packs during their two-day theft spree in March.
They then sold the new linen to a Moorabbin brothel for cash.
ILLEGAL BROTHELS SHUT DOWN BY POLICE
LOTHARIO JAILED FOR SCAMMING WOMEN
Steven Leslie Bjorksten pleaded guilty to an array of theft charges at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
He also pleaded guilty to being involved in stealing $5000 worth of cosmetics from a Chadstone beauty kiosk.
The court heard the 36-year-old criminal and a sidekick started their brazen brothel-fuelling spree on March 8.
The thief and his mate went to the Knox Lincraft store, filled a trolley with 25 bedsheets sets valued at $2374, and walked out without paying.
They were spied by another customer who contacted staff but by the time police came, they had already gone.
A day later the dodgy duo went to Chadstone Lincraft and again filled a trolley, then taking off and unloading the goods into their car.
They went back twice more, netting a total haul valued at around $3000.
Each time their modus operandi was to distract shop staff while wheeling the trolley full of sheets straight out of the door.
Later in March they also took cookware valued at $700 from a Chadstone shop.
ICE ADDICT BASHED BUNNINGS BLOKE AFTER THEFT
SHOPKEEPER CAUGHT SELLING FAKE DRUGS RISKS RESIDENCY
Bjorksten was caught out after he broke into a car parked at Chadstone on March 29, stealing $100 worth of candles, but leaving his fingerprints behind.
Police went to his Caulfield North home on April 17 and arrested him.
Bjorksten told officers he stole because he had no money, and “sold the sheets to a brothel in the Moorabbin area for cash, as his brother had a contact there”.
His lawyer said he was suffering financial difficulty at the time because his Centrelink payments had been stopped, but he was now working in an abattoir.
Bjorksten will be sentenced on January 4.
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