Darwin artist avoids conviction for stealing couch from charity shop

A DARWIN artist and film producer who stole a $400 couch from a charity shop in Stuart Park has avoided a conviction due to his ‘health situation’ and ‘intoxication at the time’.

Zebedee Dudgeon leaves the Darwin Local Court without a conviction after pleading guilty to stealing a settee. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

• Man walks into op shop, steals $400 couch, say NT Police

A DARWIN artist and film producer who stole a $400 couch from a charity shop in Stuart Park has avoided a conviction due to his “health situation” and “intoxication at the time”.

Zebedee Dudgeon, 31, pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court to one count of stealing after pinching the settee from the St Vincent de Paul shop in October.

Prosecutor Luke McLaughlin told the court Dudgeon visited the shop at about midday on October 2 and “browsed for a short period of time” before leaving and returning soon after “with a two-wheeled removalist trolley”.

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“At approximately 12.10pm the defendant loaded a blue two-seater couch located at the front entrance of the store onto the trolley,” he said.

“The defendant left the location with the couch, making no attempt to stop and pay for the item, this was captured by CCTV and provided to police.”

Police issued a public appeal for help to apprehend Dudgeon, releasing stills from the CCTV footage and on October 16 he admitted to taking the couch, telling officers “I did it”.

Mr McLaughlin said the couch was seized and returned to its rightful owner.

Representing himself in court, Dudgeon judge Michael Carey “I have here some letters which I would ask you to have a look at”.

“I would like to take this opportunity to ask your honour to consider recording a non-conviction,” he said.

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In placing Dudgeon on a 12-month good behaviour bond without recording a conviction, Mr Carey said he took into account the content of the letters “involving your health situation and intoxication at the time”.

“It’s clearly out of character, I don’t know what you thought you were thinking at the time but you’ve otherwise got a very good record,” he said.

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