George Beainy pleads guilty to massive Aldi theft

A serial criminal who described himself and his girlfriend as “Bonie and Cylied (sic)” has taken the blame for a crime spree across Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

A serial criminal who described himself and his girlfriend online as “Bonie and Cylied (sic)” has taken all the blame for the brazen shoplifting of Aldi special buys TVs.

George Beainy faced the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to the shoplifting, as well as a string of dishonesty and driving charges.

He now faces the possibility of jail time, with Magistrate Stephen Ballek saying “people used to go to jail for (unlicensed driving) alone”.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Matt Toohey told the court Beainy’s offending spanned a year, and began an attempt to sign up to a mobile phone plan with a stolen driver’s licence, which he claimed an unnamed “guy”.

George Beainy (right) faced the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday on a string of charges. Picture: Supplied

An Aldi supermarket in Melbourne (file photo)

He also used a family trip to a trampoline park in Heidelberg West as a chance to commit more crimes, when he pocketed an iPhone a woman had left in a locker.

During a traffic stop, police spotted a menacing looking stick in the back seat of his car, which Beainy said his son took with him when walking the dog.

A police officer said to him: “It looks like a weapon, George”.

Beainy replied: “I don’t carry weapons”.

Beainy’s offending reached its most brazen point when he walked into Aldi at Coburg in February 2020 and loaded more than $800 worth of items into his trolley, including three televisions and two memory foam pillows.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos MAY 23, 2021: A general view of Aldi Supermarket signage in Surry Hills in Sydney, Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The court heard his partner, Stephanie Chapman, stood in the automatic doors as Beainy walked out of the store without paying.

Ms Chapman was questioned by police but never charged, and the court heard Beainy offered to plead guilty only if he could take full responsibility for the heist.

Beainy’s lawyer, James McKenzie, said his client had a 12 page criminal record but that his most recent offending was less serious than what he had done in the past.

Mr McKenzine said Beainy had an appointment to get his L plates and “needs to get a licence” at some point.

He said Beainy was clean from drugs and sending him to prison would do no good.

The case returns to court next week.