Sam Stevenson, 35, pleads guilty to theft of a bollard and ashtray from a Corio shopping centre
A bodybuilder and wannabe influencer has pleaded guilty to the “rather bizarre” crime of drunkenly stealing a shopping centre bollard and ashtray.
Geelong
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A bodybuilder has taken to a shopping centre bollard and ashtray with an axe in a “rather bizarre” drunken midnight heist.
Sam Micheal Stevenson, 35, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Stevenson attempted to remove a bollard and ashtray in the carpark of the Corio Village shopping centre at 12.50am on December 2, 2022.
He was unable to remove the bollard with his hands.
Determined to steal the odd item, Stevenson left the area and returned with a white van and an axe.
Once successful, he placed the bollard, with the attached ashtray including some leftover ashtray water and cigarette butts, inside the van and drove away.
The items were valued at $970.
Police officers on patrol pulled Stevenson over and searched the van.
They reported seeing the cigarette butts and water but not the bollard.
The following morning, a shopping centre security guard noticed the missing bollard and checked the security cameras from the night before.
CCTV footage captured Stevenson removing the bollard with the axe.
The court heard Stevenson had “no reason” for stealing the bollard and that the theft was for the cigarette butts.
It was also said that he had been drinking the night of the bollard heist.
Magistrate Urfa Masood said the bollard and ashtray was a “rather bizarre thing to steal.”
“The whole incident makes no sense,” she said.
Stevenson appeared before the court wearing a grey shirt with the collar up and sleeves rolled up.
His lawyer said he was a natural bodybuilder with aspirations to become a social media influencer after some of his videos got more than 100,000 views.
The Geelong-based man, supported by his mother in court, was ordered to pay restitution fees for the bollard, ashtray and installation of a new bollard.
He was sentenced to a six-month good behaviour bond.
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Originally published as Sam Stevenson, 35, pleads guilty to theft of a bollard and ashtray from a Corio shopping centre
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