Nathan Ezekiela sentenced for Gladstone Liquorland thefts

A brazen bourbon thief previously sentenced in court for repeatedly targeting the same bottle shop has not stopped, pulling off another seven thefts from the same store.

Nathan Robert David Ezekiela was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court on May 15.

A brazen bourbon thief who has singled out and terrorised one Gladstone bottle shop repeatedly over a period of time, has been sentenced for more thefts from the same store.

Nathan Robert David Ezekiela, 37, appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court on May 15 where he pleaded guilty to 11 charges including seven counts of entering premises and committing an indictable offence.

The court heard that during these latest offences committed in February and March, Ezekiela stole $634 worth of bourbon cans on seven occasions he entered the Liquorland Gladstone store.

All of the offences happened while Ezekiela was on parole.

It was only recently, in January, that Ezekiela was sentenced for a string of prior alcohol thefts from the Liquorland store.

Nathan Robert David Ezekiela.

The Gladstone court was told this week that Ezekiela kept going to the same bottle shop “over and over again” and police prosecutor Sergeant Merrilyn Hoskins said he had been “living an unsustainable lifestyle.”

“He’s going to (Liquorland) taking cans valued at $130 at a time,” Sgt Hoskins said.

“$634 in two months... most people working full-time can’t afford that kind of a lifestyle.”

Ezekiela, who had an eight-page criminal history, had spent 34 days in pre-sentence custody.

Solicitor Bianca Wieland said Ezekiela was receiving a disability pension and he suffered from schizophrenia for which he was medicated.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan sentenced Ezekiela to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of 12 months, and the 34 days’ pre-sentence custody was not declared as time already served.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Nathan Ezekiela sentenced for Gladstone Liquorland thefts