Frankston ice-addict robbed Mordialloc, Berwick, Cranbourne pubs, stole from Gumbuya World
A Frankston concreter who went on a two-day, drug-fuelled theft spree hitting up pub betting machines and even a theme park has told police he couldn’t remember committing the crimes as he had “been on ice and hadn’t slept for a week”.
South East
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A thief was drugged-up on ice he didn’t remember robbing Pub-TAB and Keno betting machines across Melbourne’s southeast and in Gippsland.
Nicholas Robertson pleaded guilty to theft, burglary, weapons, criminal damage and driving charges at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, June 25.
The court heard Robertson went on a two-day meth-fuelled crime spree, stealing from hotels in Mordialloc, Cranbourne, Berwick and Traralgon, and breaking into a theme park in Tynong North.
The Frankston concreter, 25, also stole from a tool shop, was found with baseball bat, tomahawk and knife, and failed a drug test after being discovered unconscious behind the wheel.
The court heard Robertson was as a passenger in a car on the Princes Highway in Traralgon when he was arrested on July 14 last year.
He was wearing the same jacket and shoes, and had a distinctive hand tattoo, as a suspect involved in stealing $470 from a TAB machine at the Royal Hotel in Traralgon a week before.
That same morning Robertson had also tried to break into a TAB machine at Doyle’s Bridge Hotel in Mordialloc, but left empty-handed.
On July 8 he busted into Zagame’s in Berwick and broke into two Keno machines but found no money inside.
On the same day he was involved in stealing laptops and a cash tin containing $170 from Trios Sports Club in Cranbourne.
Just hours later he nicked laptops and a footy tipping cash tin from Gumbuya World in Tynong North.
CCTV footage identified a distinctive crown tattoo on his hand and a police bulletin search was put out for him.
When interviewed by police Robertson said he had “a bad drug problem” and couldn’t remember much as he had “been on ice and hadn’t slept for a week”.
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Robertson was also involved in two drug-driving incidents in April last year and admitted shoplifting a gas light from a tool shop in November 2017.
His defence lawyer said Robertson had “come good” on drug treatment and turned his life around by staying clean.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said Robertson’s crimes bore the lack of sophistication “hallmarks” of excessive drug use.
He said Robertson had done exceptionally well on his court-imposed program and had stayed out of trouble for a year.
Robertson was placed on a 12-month community corrections order and told to do drug counselling and perform 150 hours of unpaid work.