Thief who stole carpark barrier from Frankston’s Bayside Shopping Centre thought he was God
A man who ripped off a Bayside Shopping Centre carpark boom gate and walked off with it under his arm has unusually asked to speak directly to a magistrate in court. Here’s what he said.
South East
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An embarrassed thief has told a court he thought “he was God” when he stole a boom gate from a Frankston shopping complex carpark.
Christopher Cox was behaving erratically when he removed the barrier from outside the Bayside Shopping Centre and walked off with it under his arm.
He sat down at the nearby train station. PSOs chatted with him and called police who returned the gate.
The 32-year-old from Mt Eliza pleaded guilty to one charge of theft at Frankston Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The court heard Cox walked up to the Balmoral St car park entrance of the shopping complex and forcibly removed a barrier from its mountings about 6pm on January 9.
CCTV footage captured Cox’s handiwork and he was monitored as he strolled to the nearby train station.
When the police arrived he told officers he was sorry he had broken the gate off and had “f***ked up”.
In court, Cox’s defence lawyer said at the time of the crime her client was not taking his medication and had relapsed into alcohol and illicit substance abuse.
She said he had since been attending Alcoholics Anonymous counselling and was having treatment for his mental health issues.
In an unusual move, Cox asked to speak directly to the magistrate, and was granted permission.
Cox said he was “very sorry for what I’ve done” and his stupid act was a huge embarrassment to him and his family.
“I was off my medication for three weeks,” Cox said.
“I just looked at it (the boom gate) and thought I was God, I thought I needed it for some reason.
“I’m not off the rails anymore, I’m doing very well at the moment, and it won’t happen again.”
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Cox has previously been jailed for an aggravated burglary involving a chainsaw at the notorious Ambassador complex in Frankston where he used to live.
In July last year he was sentenced to 10 months jail, minus 269 days he had served in custody, and released on a two-year drug, alcohol and mental health community corrections order.
His defence lawyer said he was progressing very well on that program, and this minor offending didn’t breach that order.
Magistrate Vicky Prapas said tendered character references showed Cox was “a pretty good bloke” and told him it was important that he stayed on his medication.
He was convicted and fined $300.