David Anthony steals cars from Collins St, Westfield Plenty Valley
A traffic management worker parked her work car on Collins St and left the engine running and warning lights on as she laid traffic cones along the street. But as soon as she turned her back to buy a coffee it all went awry.
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An unlicensed man stole a traffic management car from the city as its driver stood with her back to it, driving over traffic cones then running a red light.
Persistent car thief David Anthony was later brought under citizens’ arrest by a father and son who caught him trying to steal their 4WD from their South Morang driveway.
Anthony pleaded guilty to the car thefts before Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 3, having been locked up for 16 days.
The court heard a traffic management worker parked on Collins St on February 13, put the car’s warning lights on and began placing traffic cones along the street.
She then went to buy a coffee from an adjacent store.
Leading Senior Constable Jeff Stewart said the worker was standing nearby with her back to the car, which was running with the keys in the ignition, when Anthony got into the driver’s seat and took off, running over traffic cones.
Police were contacted and tracked Anthony as he drove to Broadmeadows, before they saw him go through a red traffic arrow at a Campbellfield intersection.
He was arrested after he parked the car in Epping, when police discovered Anthony didn’t have a driver’s licence.
Less than two weeks later, on February 24, Anthony and another man stole a Ford Focus from the carpark at Westfield Plenty Valley, the court heard.
Anthony, who was on bail, was caught on CCTV stealing the car while his accomplice acted as a lookout.
The court heard Anthony, who had an extensive criminal history, then spent 40 days in jail on another matter before he was arrested and held in custody after he tried to steal a car on May 17.
Anthony got into the Toyota Land Cruiser in a South Morang driveway about 11.45pm and repeatedly tried to start the car, waking the owner inside the house.
The owner and his son ran outside and found Anthony in the car’s driver’s seat, holding him until police arrived.
Police found IDs in other names and sunglasses believed to be stolen on Anthony at the scene.
Anthony’s lawyer Robyn Greensill said his client had struggled with heroin and methamphetamine addiction for years and his parents were trying to get him a place at a rehab facility.
She told the court Anthony suffered PTSD from living in Kinglake at the time of the Black Saturday fires.
The court heard being in custody was more burdensome for the Epping man because of a back injury he sustained in a car accident and his epilepsy.
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But Magistrate Ian Alger said a corrections order could be setting Anthony up for further failure because of his poor history.
He said he took into account Anthony’s unique circumstances in sentencing him to four months’ jail.
Mr Alger said he would have ordered six months jail if it wasn’t for the guilty plea.
Anthony’s licence was disqualified for nine months.