Arthur Papas: Frankston ‘good time’ thief stole tools from pal’s dead dad

Low act: A mate who did his friend a favour soon regretted it when he found out what had happened to his father’s belongings.

Arthur Papas stole tools from his mate’s dead dad’s house and sold them to pay for a “good time” with a woman he had just met.

A dishonest druggie stole tools from his mate’s dead dad’s house and sold them for a “good time” with a woman he had just met, a court has heard.

Arthur Papas also stole a $2000 personalised pushbike then flogged it on Gumtree, but the original owner saw it advertised online and set up a sting with cops.

The Frankston 43-year-old disability support pensioner was also caught by police using drugs in a park toilet after concerned members of the public had reported dodgy dunny activity taking place.

Papas pleaded guilty to theft, deception, handling stolen goods and drug charges at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The court heard in May 2018 a friend of Papas had offered him a place to stay as he had nowhere to live.

The kind mate said he could stay at his deceased father’s home in Altona until he found his feet.

But while he was there Papas stole $1285 worth of power tools and pawned them for $290.

When he was arrested in June 2018 he admitted stealing the tools, saying “I met a female I wanted to have a good time with”.

In August 2019 a $2000 Trek bike was stolen from a storage cage in Beaumaris.

A week later the owner saw his bike, which had a distinctive sticker on the seat, for sale on Gumtree under the name of Papas.

The victim reported it to cops and they went there to ‘purchase’ the bike and Papas was arrested.

Papas said he didn’t believe it had been stolen and he had bought the bike from someone called “Steven” and wanted to flip it to make a quick profit.

He said all the text messages from “Steven” had since been deleted.

And in February last year concerned members of the community called police to report suspicious activity at a toilet block in a Langwarrin park.

When cops turned up they found papas and a female in a cubicle with .5g of ice in his wallet.

His defence lawyer said since these crimes he had been diagnosed with a mental illness which he was now being treated for.

She said there had been no more offending and he was doing well on his new medication.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said his crimes might be low end, but they still had impacts.

“Your offending is irritating and hurtful to people when you take their property,” Mr Lethbridge said.

“Especially when they take you in at your time of need.”

He said Papas was now on a program to treat his mental health issues and must abstain from drug use.

“This will be the last opportunity you get,” he said.

“If this doesn’t work, you will come back (to court) and you go to jail.”

Papas was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond, with conditions to pay $500 to the court fund and continue his medical treatment.