Maselusi Paka: Thief stole delivery driver’s car as he picked up food
Fast food: A delivery driver experienced a takeaway of a different sort when a thief stole his car while he was collecting some tucker.
South East
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A car thief who took the term “takeaway” literally, stealing a delivery driver’s car as he collected food for a customer, has been jailed.
Maselusi Paka stole the meal man’s motor from outside a restaurant after he had left his Toyota Camry running with the keys in the ignition while he popped inside to pick up some tucker.
The next day the Epping 18-year-old, who doesn’t have a licence, was driving the same stolen car when he crashed into an innocent motorist while speeding away from a police chase.
Paka pleaded guilty to car theft, reckless conduct endangering serious injury and unlicensed driving charges at the online Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The court heard at around 9pm on April 20 this year a delivery driver had parked his car outside a restaurant in Clayton and gone inside to pick up some food that had been ordered online.
Paka and a mate got in the vehicle, which had been left running with the keys inside, and drove off.
The next day at 9pm police saw the nicked motor being driven erratically by Paka on the Princes Highway in Narre Warren.
Moments later he failed to give way at an intersection and was hit by another car, causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
Police then arrested Paka, who admitted driving the car but “couldn’t remember” when or from where it had been stolen.
Paka’s defence lawyer said the car theft was “opportunistic” after he had seen the keys left in the vehicle.
He said the pursuit happened because his client was “impulsive”, and he was thankful his actions didn’t end up with anyone being seriously injured or worse.
He said Paka has already spent 19 days on remand in an adult prison, which was hard for someone so young.
Magistrate Greg Connellan said the offending was far too severe for a fine or a bond, and Paka “didn’t have the maturity” to deal with a community corrections order.
He said a jail term was appropriate, and imprisoned him for 22 days.
Paka was also disqualified from applying for a licence for three months.
