Matthew Charles Crane sentence for $4000+ crime spree

A man who committed multiple crimes over a four-month period walked out of Bunnings carrying a vacuum cleaner, a 20-litre can of paint, an Esky and a toilet seat he had not paid for.

Matthew Charles Crane pleaded guilty before Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday for multiple charges relating to a crime spree extending over four months involving stealing from Bunnings, Big W and Total Tools.

A man brazenly walked out of Bunnings with goods worth nearly $500 that he hadn’t paid for by telling the receipt checker “my hands are full”, a Bundaberg court heard.

Matthew Charles Crane pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday to multiple charges relating to a crime spree carried out over four months involving stealing from Bundaberg businesses and breaking into a construction site and storage units.

The court heard on one occasion Crane walked out of Bunnings carrying a vacuum cleaner, a 20-litre can of paint, an Esky and a toilet seat.

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When challenged by the receipt checker to prove he had purchased the items, Crane told him “my hands are full”.

A Bunnings staff member followed Crane to his car and noted his licence plate before he drove away with the goods.

A week later, Crane filled up a trolley in Big W Bundaberg and walked out without paying for the goods.

The court heard CCTV footage showed him leaving the store, although the goods stolen were not identified.

The following month Crane broke into the Total Tools store in Bundaberg by smashing the glass front door with a hammer.

He stole a Milwaukee Combo Kit tool set and a two-wheel trolley from the store with total value of $3450.

On the final occasion, Crane broke into a construction site and siphoned off an unknown quantity of diesel fuel from a storage tank.

The court heard Crane served 14 months in jail for his involvement in a Burnett Heads shooting in 2018, and committed further drug-related offences within one month of being released in 2020.

Police stopped Crane’s car after he left the site and arrested him after finding an angle grinder and a set of bolt cutters in the car.

The police prosecutor told the court Crane, 34 at the time of the offences, had a significant criminal history including imprisonment with reoffending soon after being released.

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The court heard Crane served 14 months in jail for his involvement in a Burnett Heads shooting in 2018, and committed further drug-related offences within one month of being released in 2020.

Magistrate John McInnes sentenced Crane to 16 months jail with 2.5 months parole. With time served in pre-sentence custody Crane will be released in one week.

Crane was ordered to pay $4167.83 in compensation to businesses including Bunnings and Total Tools.

He was convicted of four counts of stealing after previous conviction, three counts of breach of bail condition, two counts of receiving tainted property, three counts of enter premises and commit indictable offence and one count each of possess property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence, receiving tainted property, stealing of a vehicle and offence of driving etc. while relevant drug is present in blood or saliva.

Originally published as Matthew Charles Crane sentence for $4000+ crime spree