Robert Williams: Seaford thief asks Hastings dealer for keys, steals car
This blatant blagger goes to a car yard, picks the one he likes, asks for keys and simply drives off in the stolen ride.
South East
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A brazen thief who walked into a Hastings car yard, requested the keys to start a $14k BMW and drove off in the nicked motor has been jailed again.
Robert Mark Williams has a history of similar car thefts and is already in prison serving a sentence for stealing, driving and drug-related crimes.
The Seaford 40-year-old pleaded guilty to one charge of car theft at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The court heard on November 26 last year Williams went to a Hastings car yard and had a look around at the vehicles they had for sale.
He liked the look of a 2007 BMW, valued at $14,000, and asked staff if he could have the keys so he could hear it running.
He was handed the keys, and before the staff member had time to react, Williams jumped in the driving seat and raced off down Marine Parade.
The incident was captured on CCTV and reported to police.
Two days later police discovered the abandoned car in Keysborough, now bearing stolen number plates.
In December officers found Williams and arrested him, taking him back to a police station for an interview.
When shown the CCTV footage of him stealing the car he said “that’s not me”, but wouldn’t elaborate on why the image bore a striking resemblance to him or where he was at the time.
He had only been out of jail a month when he committed this brazen car theft.
His defence lawyer said he is now back in prison serving a two-year jail term for breaching a drug treatment order and more driving crimes.
She said her client had drug issues and was “shattered” that he had relapsed so quickly after leaving custody.
She said he couldn’t remember the car theft due to his substance abuse and a traumatic brain injury he suffered a year ago.
She submitted any sentence imposed should not be longer than what he was already serving and not delay his release from jail in October next year.
Magistrate Dr Michael King said car theft was a serious crime.
“People are entitled to security of their motor vehicles,” Dr King said.
“And you have a history of similar (thefts).”
He told Williams he needs to seek drug assistance when released otherwise he end up repeatedly back in custody.
“You have a significant history of trauma and resorted to the use of drugs,” he said.
“But drugs are not a way of dealing with trauma, they just lead to further misery in people’s lives.”
Williams was jailed for six months, to run concurrently with his current sentence, and banned from driving for six months.
