Mildura man Matthew McTeare dubbed ‘one man crime wave’ after gym break-in and chemist snatch-and-grab

A Mildura man blamed the courts for his outrageous crime spree, where he stole goods including signed Ron Barassi jumpers so he could sell them to fund his heroin habit.

Matthew McTeare was caught on CCTV stealing thousands of dollars worth of items from BFT in Mildura. Picture: Supplied

A Mildura crook dubbed a “one-man crime wave” racked up more than 80 offences stealing goods across the city — including signed Ron Barassi football jumpers — to fund his raging heroin habit.

Matthew McTeare fronted Mildura Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft, burglary, drug possession and failure to answer bail.

The court heard in March this year McTeare waltzed into Body Fit Training on Langtree Ave at 11pm via a door that had been accidentally left unlocked.

While inside he stole iPads, a first aid kit, eight heart rate monitors, and other items valued at nearly $2000.

McTeare was busted on CCTV at Body Fitness Training in Mildura helping himself to thousands of dollars worth of items.

McTeare was caught on CCTV both inside BFT and on Mildura Safe CCTV in the CBD prior to the incident.

The following day McTeare was found passed out and heavily drug affected by police in the middle of Avocado St, just off of San Mateo Ave.

On December 17, 2024, McTeare was caught on CCTV at MyChemist Mildura stuffing boxes of eye cream down his pants valued at more than $100.

Matthew McTeare was caught on Mildura Safe CCTV in the CBD in the lead up to the brazen theft at BFT on Langtree Ave. Picture: Supplied

McTeare and a co-accused were caught on CCTV in November 2024 stealing signed Ron Barassi football jumpers valued at more than $5000 from a car park storage area on 11th St.

In June 2023 McTeare and a co-accused stole a Commonwealth Bank ATM card from a parked car and made $3977 worth of purchases at numerous stores around Mildura, including Woolworths, Coles, PJ Foodworks, The Smoking Club and Ritchies IGA.

McTeare on his near $4000 shopping spree through Mildura in June of 2023 after stealing someone's Commonwealth Bank ATM card. Picture: Supplied

When questioned by police about the BFT burglary, McTeare told police he took the opportunity to feed his drug habit and sold all the items “within two hours for about $300 of heroin”.

Court documents revealed McTeare told police he would continue to steal to fund his drug habit until he was put into a rehabilitation facility.

The same documents showed McTeare put the blame squarely on the courts for his continued offending because he kept getting bail, so the cycle of drugs and theft would continue.

McTeare, who stole signed Ron Barassi jumpers worth thousands of dollars, blamed the courts for his criminal behaviour as he kept getting bail.

Magistrate Patrick Southey described the level of McTeare’s offending, coupled with the sheer amount of charges, as “astonishing”.

“You are a one man crime wave. There must be so many unhappy victims,” Mr Southey said.

McTeare was sentenced to three months behind bars on the multiple theft and burglary charges and given seven days on numerous failure to answer bail charges.

He was fined a total of $640.40 on the drug possession charges.