Seymour Johnson pleads guilty to stealing alcohol from Gaucho’s Argentinian Eatery

A man has confessed to helping himself to bottles of alcohol after he apparently stumbled upon a smash and grab at a popular Adelaide restaurant.

A man has confessed to helping himself to alcohol in a smash and grab at a popular Adelaide restaurant.

Seymour Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday to serious criminal trespass and theft, namely bottles of alcohol.

Gaucho’s Argentinian Eatery was the latest restaurant to be targeted in escalating youth crime at the time of Johnson’s break-in on September 1.

Police were called to the Gouger St restaurant after reports a window was smashed and liquor stolen at about 4am.

Police later arrested Mr Johnson and two boys – a 13-year-old boy from Ottoway and an 11-year-old from Ingle Farm.

Seymour Johnson was denied bail for serious criminal trespass and theft. Photo: Facebook

Mr Seymour, of Ingle Farm, is charged with serious criminal trespass and theft.

Counsel, for Mr Johnson, told the court during his unsuccessful bail application that her client was not the antagoniser and didn’t smash the glass himself.

“My instructions are that he was walking up the street and the glass was smashed ahead of him,” she said.

The court heard drinking was an issue for Mr Johnson, which was something he wanted to address.
At the time of the offence, Gaucho’s owner Joe Puntureri told The Advertiser it was just the latest of multiple theft incidents at the restaurant.

“It’s becoming a common denominator now where crime is getting younger and younger … we’re on our third one now within 18 months,” he said.

Mr Puntureri paid tribute to the police who he said acted swiftly to arrest the suspects on each occasion but feared once caught, perpetrators were able to be back out on the street and reoffend.

Gauchos restaurant manager Joe Puntureri. Picture: Dean Martin

He said police had responded within “a minute-and-a-half” as the building’s alarm sounded.

The veteran restaurant owner – who had been on Gouger St for 30 years – said traders and the general public were suffering the consequences of a “system that I think has loopholes and cracks” where reoffenders were left to reoffend.

“We are trying to create some vibrancy in the city for people to enjoy … what I’m not seeing is the system punishing or giving these people some kind of consequence for offending,” he said.

On Wednesday, the court heard a resolution had been reached so Johnson’s charges could be resolved in the Magistrates jurisdiction rather than the District Court.

Magistrate Justin Wickens adjourned Johnson’s charges until next month for sentencing submissions.

Originally published as Seymour Johnson pleads guilty to stealing alcohol from Gaucho’s Argentinian Eatery