Daniel Wayne Bowd pleads guilty to string of burglaries and crash with cyclist
A brazen burglar who stole more than $330,000 by cracking open safes of at least 40 Melbourne businesses was on bail over a horror crash that almost killed a cyclist.
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A brazen burglar who stole more than $330,000 by cracking open safes of at least 40 Melbourne businesses was on bail over a horror crash that almost killed a cyclist.
Daniel Wayne Bowd, 31, pleaded guilty in the County Court today to a series of break-ins and thefts at commercial premises in the CBD between May 2016 and January 2017.
The court heard how Bowd, from Southbank, would sneak through the city with a backpack laden with tools to help him bust through fire escape doors, including an oxy torch, crowbar, bolt cutters and lock pick.
CCTV captured him forcing entry to restaurants, book stores, offices, jewellery stores, and even a massage parlour.
His biggest loot was a safe containing $90,700 cash and a wad of jewellery from a Docklands jeweller. He returned to the same store weeks later to nick $79,000 worth of jewellery.
In forcing entry, he racked up a damage bill of almost $58,000.
The eight-month crime spree came after Bowd was released on bail over a Bundoora crash in March 2016 where he ran a red light while high on ice.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury.
In a victim impact statement read out in court, the victim, a 37-year-old man, expressed anger and frustration as he can no longer live independently.
He was thrown 23m over the bonnet of Bowd’s car and suffered a “dramatic brain injury”, as well as multiple fractures to his ribs, pelvis and spine.
“I don’t think I will ever get over what you did to me,” the victim said.
Bowd apologised to the victim and his family in a letter, saying, “there are not enough words to express how sorry I am”.
His lawyer Dr Michael FitzGerald told the court the sun was shining in Bowd’s eyes, so he didn’t see the light go red, or the cyclist.
He said Bowd didn’t flee the scene, stopping and calling Triple 0 and running to a nearby medical centre to get help.
Giving reasons for his crime wave of burglaries, Dr FitzGerald said Bowd did it to feed his drug and gambling habits.
“All his crimes coincided with periods in his life where he abused substances,” Dr FitzGerald said.
“He really shows true remorse now for his actions and wants to make a change.”
The court heard he has undergone treatment at a rehabilitation centre and has been clean for 700 days.
Bowd had been on bail until today where he was remanded ahead of his sentence on December 20.