Bronson John Norton pleads guilty to fraud and stealing
A relentless crime spree impacting multiple businesses, individuals and suburbs across the Fraser Coast and Bundaberg was brought undone by a simple thing this criminal did not factor in.
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A fraudster and thief’s month-long crime spree across the Fraser Coast and parts of Bundaberg has been laid bare as he was sentenced to three years behind bars.
Bronson John Norton pleaded guilty to more than 30 offences, including multiple counts of stealing, receiving tainted property and fraud, as well as entering a premises and committing an indictable offence, wilful damage, possessing dangerous drugs and unlawful use of a motor vehicle when he faced Hervey Bay District Court.
The spree began on September 4, 2023, when Norton stole a 12-piece tool set and combination spanner worth $354 from the Pialba Bunnings about 10.20am.
He placed the items in a bag, according to court documents, and when staff asked to see his bag, he ignored them and walked away.
Norton was later identified from CCTV footage.
On September 12, police carrying out checks on their stolen property database saw Norton had pawned a large number of stolen items, including power tools and jewellery, at Hervey Bay Cash Converters.
The items included a post digger, drill, chainsaw, leaf blower, two diamond rings, a gold pendant, a gold necklace and a silver pendant.
Norton had received $630 for the items, according to the court documents.
On September 15, he was found to have pumped $49.80 worth of fuel at Liberty Bundaberg Airport fuel station and driven away without paying.
He was identified by CCTV.
On September 20, Norton went to Pialba Bunnings and took a canister of MAP gas, a gas burner and a jump starter kit from the shelves.
He was asked by staff to see in his bag but did not show them, according to court documents.
He was again identified on CCTV footage.
On September 21, Norton and an alleged co-offender tried to break into a toolbox fixed to the back of a Toyota ute in the carpark of Woolworths at Eli Waters.
The owner of the ute noticed the two and yelled at them, according to court documents.
Norton and the alleged co-offender then got into another car and drove away.
He was later identified from CCTV footage.
In a separate incident, Norton’s fingerprint was found inside a Mazda Bravo that had been stolen from an address in Maryborough.
It was later located in Dundowran Rd, Walligan, spray painted black and without licence plates, court documents read.
On October 1, a trailer was stolen from MetLife Constructions and later found abandoned in Walligan.
It contained tools and other items, court documents read.
Norton’s fingerprint was found on the jockey wheel of the trailer and he later pawned the tools at Cash Converters.
On October 4, Norton stole a rear number plate from a vehicle at Howard which was later attached to a stolen vehicle.
His fingerprint was located on the number plate.
On October 6, Norton arrived in a white van outside a property in Pacific Haven.
He walked to the rear of the property, according to court documents, cut through a fly screen and climbed through a window, stealing two televisions, a vacuum cleaner and a first aid kit.
He then left in the van with the stolen property.
On October 8, Norton pawned power tools at Cash Converters in Hervey Bay, including a circular saw, angle grinder, two drills and a Bluetooth speaker, receiving an unknown amount of money, according to court documents.
Then on October 9, he and and an alleged co-offender, went to Sixt car rental in Pialba and forcefully opened a key dropbox used to store rental keys.
Along with a co-offender, Norton then broke into the premises and removed a safe containing a key to all the rental cars on the compound.
The safe was then placed in a bin, according to court documents.
On October 11, he went to Dan Murphy’s in Maryborough and took five bottles of spirits amounting to $699.96.
When approached by staff he ran away without paying.
He was later identified from CCTV footage.
The same day, Norton went to Good Life RV and Lifestyle Resort at Howard and went to a shipping container on the property.
He then used tools to break the lock of the container along with an alleged co-offender.
They took chainsaws, a pressure washer, two generators and a laser level before leaving.
On October 16, police located Norton at Cash Converters in a stolen Hyundai and located a laser level, two generators and a chainsaw in its boot, according to court documents.
He was transported to the watch-house where police found 0.7 grams of meth in a clip seal bag during a search.
On October 18, Norton was given bail, but by October 21, he was offending again.
He went to Hertz car rentals in Urangan where he checked the key drop box, but no keys were inside.
Norton then tried to force open a roller door, court documents read, damaging it before leaving the property.
On October 23, Norton drove a stolen Toyota Prado to a service station and took $214.84 worth of fuel without paying.
Then on October 24, he drove the stolen Prado to the Caltex roadhouse at Childers and took $184.93 worth of fuel, according to court documents.
On the same day, Norton went to SPAR convenience store and stole items valued at $33.94, including five blocks of chocolate, leaving without paying.
On October 25 Norton stole number plates from a car at Stockland in Hervey Bay.
On the same date he took $76.05 worth from fuel from a petrol station without paying.
Then on October 26, he took $220.91 worth of fuel from BP Bay City service station at Kawungan.
On October 29, Norton parked next to a Ford Falcon at River Heads boat ramp and used a tool to open a storage pod, removing camping gear.
Later that day he approached a refrigerated trailer and cut padlocks used to lock its doors.
Her took an Engel fridge and a grease gun from the trailer.
Police caught up with Norton that day when he caught crawling out of a shed at Booral, from which he had taken tools and a vacuum cleaner.
A black backpack in the vehicle revealed two clip seal bags of meth weighing 0.6 grams
A bag of cannabis weighing 6 grams was also found.
Norton was arrested and taken to the watch house where he was searched and found in possession of 4 clip seal bags of meth weighing 4.7 grams, the pure weight of which was estimated to be less than two grams.
He was also found in possession of a bag of LSD weighing 0.38 grams.
Norton was remanded in custody and did not participate in an interview with police.
On June 18, Norton was given a head sentence of three years in prison.
A parole release date was set for November 18, 2024.
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