Nathan Dennis Walter Beer in Bundaberg court for stealing

A former senior firefighter, who claims he turned to heroin to cope with PTSD, has faced court for a shocking stealing spree across multiple businesses in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.

Shocking stealing offences committed by a former New South Wales Fire and Rescue volunteer have been detailed in Bundaberg Magistrates Court.

Nathan Dennis Walter Beer, 45, appeared via videolink from the Maryborough Correctional Centre where he pleaded guilty to 17 offences including five counts of stealing after previous conviction, three counts of breach of bail, attempted stealing, fail to appear, possession of suspected stolen property, wilful damage, wilful damage of police property, driving without a licence and fail to dispose of a syringe.

The court heard he’d stolen $265 in tools from Repco at Hervey Bay in November, 2020 and the next day, was caught driving a car after he had been disqualified for driving for two years from March 2019.

He was found driving again while disqualified on November 11, 2020.

On January 3, 2021, he was later identified via CCTV entering the Bundaberg Bunnings store where he selected $618.93 worth of tools and left without paying.

He returned to the same Bunnings in October, 2021 and stole a socket set, a spanner set and a chisel punch worth $403.78.

That month he also stole more than $80 worth of rum and vodka from Dan Murphy’s at Bundaberg South and had previously failed to appear in Maryborough Magistrates Court on September 28, 2021.

That November, Beer stole a phone from Chippindalls Newsagency in Bundaberg and, in December 9, 2021, was busted breaking his curfew, riding his scooter to get some dinner from McDonalds.

On December 14, Beer took a trolley’s worth of groceries from the Kensington Coles and the following day, again breached his curfew telling police he had gone out to get milk.

That’s when police found a syringe that wasn’t disposed correctly.

On January 10, he stole watches and damaged a lock on a cabinet containing mobile phones at the Sugarland Big W.

Police caught up with Beer and suspected he was wearing stolen pants from the store, after they noticed a price tag still attached to them.

He was arrested and taken to the Bundaberg watch house where he spat on the window, forcing it to be specially cleaned.

Nathan Dennis Walter Beer, 40, appeared via videolink from the Maryborough Correctional Centre, pleading guilty to 17 charges.

Beer, who was representing himself, told the court he served in the NSW Fire Service when he was 13 years of age until he was 18, which caused him post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“It may surprise the court that I’m in this position as I had previously been a Deputy Fire Captain with the volunteer fire service in New South Wales,” he said.

“It involved back burning, quick rescue and motor vehicle accidents.

“I saw quite a few fatalities … quite a lot for an 18-year-old, Your Honour.”

Beer tearfully told the court he had problems with heroin since the age of 20.

“I suffered PTSD and I’m asking to help me to help myself with probation so I can have some counselling,” he said.

The court heard he had a number of jobs since his stint with the fire service, with his last packing food at Red Shed at Bundaberg East three years ago.

He had also previously been employed with CQ Waterproofing at Tannum Sands.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie said Beer’s Queensland criminal history, traffic history and New South Wales history would help to form the sentencing for his “dishonesty” offending.

“It can assist the court to form a view that all of the opportunities that have been offered to you for rehabilitation in the community without interventions of terms of imprisonment have been unsuccessful,” Ms McGarvie said.

“You’re now 45 years of age and you have demonstrated that you’re a recidivist, dishonesty offender for whom there is a need to impose a sentence which will stop you from committing other offences of dishonesty.”

Ms McGarvie also took into consideration that he had taken on a “challenging” role in the NSW Fire service earlier in his life.

“You have a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct involvement in that field and the contributions you made to the community in that area,” Ms McGarvie said.

“I have been informed by you that as a consequence of those vulnerabilities you suffered from opioid addiction.

“It doesn’t excuse your behaviour but it puts into context perhaps the circumstances of that drug-related offending.”

Beer was sentenced to 16 months and 27 days imprisonment with immediate parole.

60 days of pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.

He was disqualified from driving for four years and convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Nathan Dennis Walter Beer in Bundaberg court for stealing