Serial criminal Shane Anthony Gauci jailed for stealing ashes, car, laptops, passports, more from Norwood, North Adelaide homes and hotels

A serial, jail-breaking crim spent a month breaking into homes and hotels in affluent suburbs – and what he stole was wild.

A serial criminal who once escaped from jail is back behind bars after spending a month stealing laptops, passports, cash and jewellery – and cremated remains – from homes and hotels across Adelaide.

On Friday, Shane Andrew Gauci, 47, was sentenced in the District Court of South Australia after pleading guilty to more than 20 separate offences.

Judge Michael Durrant said Gauci’s continued incursions into criminality meant he now posed a “danger” to the community.

Shane Gauci went on the run after leaving a prison van in September 2018. Picture: SA Police

“You entered people’s homes with the intention to steal valuable items, not caring whether they were there or not,” Judge Durrant said.

“Members of the community are entitled to feel safe in their homes and to be assured their valuable belongings will not be taken.

“While your personal circumstances are tragic and deserving of some sympathy, you are frankly now a danger to the community.”

Between February 15 and March 13, 2024, Gauci broke into a Burton home, a Norwood home, a North Adelaide hotel room and a North Adelaide Airbnb.

The court heard he stole passports, car keys, jewellery, Medicare, bank, licences and membership cards, laptops, iPads, AirPods, an iPod, cash, a Toyota RAV4 and family ashes.

The stolen Toyota was located later the day it was stolen in Salisbury Downs after it had been involved in a crash.

Gauci was linked to the crash after his blood was found on an airbag, and his personal wallet found in the vehicle.

Police attended a Greenacres property looking for Gauci on March 13, and following a short foot pursuit, Gauci assaulted a police officer and approached him with a syringe.

The officer was not injured in the attack.

“Police officers are integral to keeping the community safe, they do a difficult job and they should be able to perform their duties without fear of violence,” Judge Durrant said.

“The courts must protect the police and make it clear assaults against them, when they are going about their duties, will not be tolerated.”

The court heard Gauci’s long history of offending – including a jail break in 2018 – was linked to his chronic heroin addiction that began as a coping mechanism for tragedy in his life.

His Honour found Gauci was genuinely remorseful, but his risk of reoffending was “very high” unless he was able to “break the cycle” of addiction.

Gauci was sentenced to 11 years, seven months and 26 days accumulative for all offences, reduced to seven years and six months jail after considering the principle of totality.

Judge Durrant fixed a non-parole period of six year and backdated the sentence to March 13, 2024, when he was arrested.

Upon his release, Gauci will serve a licence disqualification of two years.

Originally published as Serial criminal Shane Anthony Gauci jailed for stealing ashes, car, laptops, passports, more from Norwood, North Adelaide homes and hotels