Flagged down police catch burglar behind the store’s counter

One two occasions, the drug and alcohol fuelled teenager was spotted committing his crimes by witnesses, who alerted police. He also left his DNA at the scene of two other crimes.

A bumbling burglar was busted within minutes of his crime on two occasions after witnesses notified police.

The defendant, 18, pleaded guilty on July 13 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to four counts of enter dwelling and commit indictable offence, one of trespass, one of stealing, one of failing to appear in court and one of serious of assault a police officer by spitting.

He cannot be identified as he was a minor when the crimes were committed.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said the teen entered the Oasis Food Store on Richardson Road, Norman Gardens, on March after striking a door with a jimmy bar (crow bar) before noticing a CCTV camera above and trying to strike it with the jimmy bar.

She said the teen, after unsuccessfully trying to hit the camera, ran to the external power box and turned off the power to the camera.

Senior Constable Rowe said the teen then gained entry and pulled the eftpos machine and various computers out from their bays and threw them on the floor.

She said he also located a coin float which he placed on the floor.

Senior Constable Rowe said police were flagged down by another male saying they saw a man armed with a jimmy enter the store.

She said police called out at the store to anyone inside to make themselves known to them and the teen stood up from behind the counter with the jimmy in his hands.

After being arrested, as a police officer was patting him down before placing him in the police car pod, the teen became abusive and spat at the officer’s face, with the spit landing on the back of the officer’s head as he turned away.

The teen was transitioned to the ground before placed in the pod.

He told police he had drunk six to seven Great Northern Beers and taken three to four points of ice in recent hours.

His belligerent behaviour continued towards watch house staff.

The teen also broke into a Bennett Street, Berserker, residence on January 1, 2021, stealing watches, car keys, a wallet and phone, and was spotted by the victim’s neighbour as he jumped fences on his way out at 6.50am.

He was located by police by 7am and was in possession of the stolen items, along with other stolen items from other places he burgled that morning including kindle devices, a Samsung tablet, jewellery, an iPhone and $90.95 in cash stolen from a victim’s house on Clifton Street.

The teen also attempted to break into the Berserker State School tuck shop, leaving his fingerprints on damaged property as he tried to gain entry by cutting wire mesh and damaging glass louvres, sometime between February 4 and 9.

During that period, he also broke in to the Mount Archer State School, using a concrete brick which he smashed glass with to gain access to a building and then searched inside.

The defendant then tried to gain entry to the school’s tuckshop, leaving his DNA on the right side of the door.

Defence lawyer Brandon Selic said his client’s offending appeared to be fuelled by drugs and alcohol.

He said the defendant turned 18 while in custody.

Magistrate Cameron Press said people had a right to feel safe in their own homes and for their possessions to be safe in their homes.

He said someone had to pay for all the damage the defendant caused and items he stole, mostly the community through insurance companies.

Mr Press sentenced the teenager to a 15 month prison head sentence, 12 months probation, 40 hours community service, declared 128 days presentence custody and set parole release on August 6, 2021.

Originally published as Flagged down police catch burglar behind the store’s counter