Man jailed for stealing cigarette paraphenalia
AN ALICE Springs man has been jailed for stealing cigarette paraphernalia from an elderly man in his apartment in Alice Springs.
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AN ALICE Springs man has been jailed for stealing cigarette paraphernalia from an elderly man in his apartment in Alice Springs.
Arthur Abbott, 35, was found not guilty by the Supreme Court jury to one count of aggravated robbery, but was found guilty of one count of stealing from the 74-year-old man. The jury heard Abbott saw his girlfriend leave a man’s apartment in Alice Springs when he entered and allegedly punched him three times in the face, demanded beer and money, and stole a packet of tobacco and cigarette papers from the table.
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During sentencing Justice Judith Kelly said while the theft was trivial, the “surrounding circumstances were quite serious”.
“It seems to me, on the evidence before the court that the most likely explanation for the verdict of not guilty on the charge of aggravated robbery is that the jury was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the purpose of the violence you inflicted on (the victim) had anything to do with stealing the tobacco and papers.
“An alternative explanation for the violence was jealousy at seeing your girlfriend come out of the victim’s unit. She was going out as you were going past.
“You pushed your way in and then what occurred. You simply picked up the tobacco and papers on your way out, unrelated to the violence that had gone before.”
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The jury deliberated for four and a half hours before returning a unanimous verdict of not guilty to aggravated robbery.
Abbott was sentenced to three months jail for stealing.
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