Helidon man Travis Francis Hall in Gatton court for stealing and drug charges

If the man had returned all his work items as requested, it’s likely police wouldn’t have unravelled a hidden secret in his garden shed.

Travis Francis Hall in Gatton court for stealing, drug charges.

When Travis Francis Hall’s employment as an apprentice painter ended, he used it as an opportunity to pocket some of his boss’s equipment.

Despite the 21-year-old’s former employer sending multiple texts messages asking for all equipment to be returned, Hall kept a petrol leaf blower and a paint scraper with the letter “T” carved into it.

After Hall’s previous boss realised not all equipment had been returned, he spoke with police at Helidon.

It led to a search of Hall’s Helidon home, which uncovered more than the stolen equipment

In a garden shed at the rear of the property, police also located three small marijuana plants, a clipseal bag with marijuana leaf and seeds and various drug paraphernalia items.

Police prosecutor Narelle Lowe told the Gatton Court that during the search on June 25, Hall was not at home.

She said Hall visited the station later that day and confirmed the plants and seeds were his and that he smoked marijuana nearly every day.

When detailing the stolen items, Sergeant Lowe said Hall eventually returned the stolen paint scraper to police.

“The defendant believed the items were given to him by the victim for him to keep,” Sergeant Lowe said.

Hall was represented by the duty lawyer, who said the 21-year-old was now working as an apprentice painter.

It was revealed Hall had ADHD and was not medicated because he struggled with side effect.

The court heard he used marijuana as a means of medicating his disorder and to help with pain from broken bones he suffered when he was two years old.

Hall pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs, producing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils or pipes and possessing property suspected of having been used in connection to a drug offence.

He was fined $750 and no conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Helidon man Travis Francis Hall in Gatton court for stealing and drug charges