Supermarket stealer stole groceries, tools, drove carelessly because life was tough
A prolific thief has taken self-service to a new level by loading up trolleys full of food worth hundreds of dollars’ and strolling out without paying in Melbourne’s south. And he didn’t just do it at supermarkets.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A brazen thief who walked into supermarkets, loaded up trolleys full of stolen groceries and walked out without paying will be spending six months behind bars.
Trent Kerrigan also nicked chainsaws and other tools and continually drove carelessly in unsafe cars while suspended and high on ice.
The 27-year-old from Carrum Downs pleaded guilty to a series of theft and driving charges at Frankston Magistrates’ Court last Friday.
The court heard he would simply walk into supermarkets and shops and take whatever he wanted.
On August 5 last year he went to Carrum Downs’ Woolworths, filled up a trolley with $500 worth of groceries, walked to his car, loaded it up and drove off.
He had been seen by a guard and police arrested him the next day.
Three months later on December 19 he went to Coles in Carrum Downs and again loaded up a trolley full of goods, this time worth around $200.
The supermarket gave CCTV footage to police and Kerrigan was arrested in January this year, saying “he had been going through a tough period” and he needed the food to live.
He continued his stealing spree in January this year; on the 21st stealing a $579 blower from a Seaford mower store and on the 23rd he took a $949 chainsaw from a Carrum Downs engine shop.
On March 5 this year on Peninsula Link in Baxter, Kerrigan, who was a P-plater, was seen by other drivers behaving erratically, undertaking in the emergency lane and speeding.
A day later he got caught drug-driving in Moorooduc in a car which had bald tyres and was too low.
On March 20 he sped through a red light in Frankston, nearly hitting a pedestrian, and a day after he caused an accident in Seaford, crashing into a barrier and leaving the scene.
MORE COURT NEWS
KEEP WALKING: THIEF'S JACK DANIELS’ BOTTLE SHOP THEFT SPREE
ROSEBUD ALDI SHOPLIFTERS TROLLEY FLEE FAIL
WEIRD COURT EXCUSES: CRAP MUM, WRONG SHOES, GOD, TONY ABBOTT
His defence lawyer said Kerrigan’s six-year relationship with his former partner broke down and he “didn’t cope well”, and “everything went wrong”.
He asked for a sentence indication suggesting the two months he had spent on remand, combined with a community corrections order, was appropriate.
But Magistrate Charles Tan said a six months’ prison was required due to the continued and constant offending.
Kerrigan’s lawyer spoke to his client and they accepted the six-month term before the video link ran out of time.
He was remanded to return on June 12 for finalisation of his sentence.