Vishal Sharma banned from Coles, Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse
Melbourne will soon be in lockdown, but at least we can still go to the supermarket. This Lalor uni student can’t even go within 200m of any Coles or Woolies — and now he’s been barred from Chemist Warehouse too.
North
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A university student has been banned from going within 200m of any Coles or Woolworths, or from visiting Chemist Warehouse because of chronic alleged theft.
But the ban didn’t stop Vishal Sharma trying to steal almost $1400 worth of underwear and vitamins from Woolworths South Morang last week.
The Southern Cross University IT student fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court to apply for bail on Friday, July 3, having spent a night in custody.
The court heard Sharma had repeatedly breached bail granted earlier in the year by continuing to attend Woolworths, stealing, and by being with an alleged co-accused.
The Lalor man was arrested on July 2 after he was allegedly caught trying to steal $703 of vitamins from Woolworths South Morang.
Senior Constable Bangra said Sharma filled a bag with the vitamins then went to leave the store, before he realised an employee was watching him and he returned the items.
The evening before Sharma was allegedly caught on CCTV going to the store with an unknown co-accused.
They allegedly filled bags with items, including 43 pairs of Bonds underpants, where Sharma spent $6 at the self-checkout while his friend bought a slab of water, before they tried to leave.
The court heard a staff member stopped the pair and asked to see inside their bags, before they left the bags, containing $673.25 worth of unpaid for items, at the checkout and fled.
Senior Constable Bangra said Sharma, along with the co-accused he has been banned from seeing, stole $231.90 worth of items from Chemist Warehouse Mernda on May 14.
They allegedly placed bottles of bio oil and pregnancy items in their jackets before walking out of the store.
Senior Constable Bangra said Sharma had been charged with stealing from Chemist Warehouse Melbourne and possessing a controlled weapon on February 24, and since been charged with theft multiple times from April to June.
The court heard he was a heroin addict who was on a student visa.
Sharma’s lawyer said his client had no criminal history and his first time in custody had been “absolutely crushing”.
He disputed one of the occasions Sharma was said to have been with the alleged co-accused against his bail, and said his client would spend longer in jail waiting for the cases to be finalised than he would receive as a sentence.
Leading Senior Constable Matt Toohey conceded the delay, but questioned how to stop Sharma from stealing.
“Can we keep banning him from every single premises in Melbourne?”
Magistrate McNamara said the delay was a reason to bail Sharma.
He said he was concerned about the risk of Sharma reoffending, but in the scheme of things it was relatively minor offending.
Mr McNamara added Chemist Warehouse to Sharma’s list of prohibited stores.
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