Michael Seiffert, 24, sentenced for shoplifting, car thefts

A serial shoplifter and car thief was “doing it tough” during a crime spree that ended in a joy ride in a stolen ute, a court has heard.

Michael Seiffert. Picture: Facebook.

A serial shoplifter and car thief was “doing it tough” during a crime spree that ended in a wild police chase across the city in a stolen ute, Geelong Magistrates Court heard.

Michael Anthony Seiffert, of no fixed address, plundered Geelong stores including Bunnings, Sports First, Sunglasses Hut, Edge Clothing and Apco, before he was arrested after a car chase in July this year.

Seiffert, 24, filmed the pursuit on his mobile phone, as the stolen car hurtled through Newtown, North Geelong and on the Geelong Ring Road, driving over median strips and through red lights at speeds of up to 180km/h.

The chase ended when Seiffert and three others were arrested in Grovedale.

Seiffert was sentenced to 17 days in prison, determined as time served, and an 18-month community corrections order.

Seiffert had previously pleaded guilty to charges including theft, theft of a motor vehicle, committing an indictable offence while on bail, shoplifting and driving while disqualified dating back to February, but his sentencing was deferred until this month.

Seiffert, who appeared via videolink, was told by magistrate Anne McGarvie that he had a choice.

“You have to make the decision that you don’t want to go back to jail,” Ms McGarvie told Seiffert.

Before the pursuit, Seiffert had been a serial thief.

In February and March, Seiffert stole socket sets worth thousands from Bunnings Warehouse in Norlane and Waurn Ponds.

After being arrested, Seiffert told police he had been “doing it tough” and that he had sold the items.

Court documents reveal that on March 5, Seiffert was asked by a woman, who now lives in Queensland, to put the keys to her car in a letterbox so a tow truck could pick it up.

Instead, when the tow truck arrived the car was gone.

On March 14, Seiffert and a male co-accused stole more than $330 worth of items from Myers, followed by a theft of Versace sunglasses on March 16.

According to court documents, Seiffert told a witness he “had to do this”.

When interviewed by police about the offences on May 19, Seiffert told officers he “just didn’t care” about the Myers theft, and that he was “in debt for something” regarding the sunglasses.

Seiffert’s licence had been suspended in June 2022 after he was caught speeding more than 45km over the speed limit.

Seiffert also pleaded guilty on Thursday to stealing $300 worth of clothing from Edge Clothing in Westfield.

When asked his reason for stealing the clothes, Seiffert told police: “I had no clothes, so I stole them”.

For the Edge Clothing theft, he was convicted and fined $300 plus costs.

Seiffert will appear in court again on November 14.

Originally published as Michael Seiffert, 24, sentenced for shoplifting, car thefts