Christopher Smyth steals from Chemist Warehouse, Dan Murphy’s
A man with a lengthy criminal history who’s been caught repeatedly stealing from northern-suburb shops, including chemists and liquor stores, has told a court he doesn’t want to “just be a waste of time and space” sitting in jail.
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A man who’s been caught stealing repeatedly, getting away with more than $5000 of items, has told a court he doesn’t want to “just be a waste of time and space” sitting in jail.
Christopher Edward Smyth fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 8, having spent 38 days behind bars.
The court heard the 29-year-old had stolen from a ute he broke into and then shoplifted five times in a month.
Smyth and another man smashed a window of a Ford Ranger ute parked outside Watsonia RSL sub-branch on February 21 while a witness watched and phoned 000.
Senior Constable Michael Kaye said the pair stole $3300 of tools, putting them in a Nissan Navara that had been stolen that morning, as well as a wallet containing $450 and an ANZ credit card.
Smyth then walked 90m to BP Watsonia and used the credit card to buy $91.98 of cigarettes.
The court heard he stole $720 of Swisse multivitamins from Chemist Warehouse Bundoora on May 3 by stuffing the bottles in his backpack, before he used the same tactic to steal $364 of Swisse multivitamins from Chemist Warehouse Heidelberg West on May 8.
On May 7 he stole three bottles of alcohol worth $209 from Dan Murphy’s Preston by stuffing them in his pants and jumper sleeves.
Smyth didn’t try to hide his crime when he stole a coffee, chicken sandwich and Up and Gos, worth about $20, from Coles Express Bundoora on May 3, saying to the employee, “Sorry, I can’t pay, I don’t have any money”.
He pleaded guilty to the charges after Magistrate Helen Murphy indicated she would sentence him to two months’ jail and put him on a community corrections order.
Smyth began the hearing telling the court he wanted to do community service on a corrections order “instead of just being a waste of time and space” in jail.
His lawyer, Sally Buckley, said he suffered from schizo-affective disorder and from drug and alcohol abuse.
Ms Buckley conceded Smyth had lengthy, relevant prior convictions, but said custody had been particularly onerous because of restrictions imposed by coronavirus.
On Thursday, July 9, the court heard Smyth had been assessed as unsuitable for a corrections order, due to previous noncompliance with orders and a lack of insight into his drug problem.
But the court heard alternative programs weren’t available because of the pandemic.
Ms Murphy said she wasn’t going to keep Smyth in custody for that reason.
She sentenced him to two months’ jail and a six-month corrections order for supervision and treatment.
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