John Ian Crawford stole from a tip jar ‘numerous times’ at the Happy Sun Chinese Restaurant, Yeppoon

A 76-year-old Central Queensland man, who has nine adult children, was asked to leave a Chinese restaurant by the manager, but he then became irate and made an alarming threat. Here’s what happened to the man when he faced court.

Happy Sun Chinese Restaurant at Yeppoon.

A Capricorn Coast pensioner was caught on camera stealing from a Chinese restaurant tip jar at Yeppoon.

John Ian Crawford, 76, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on May 5 to stealing and public nuisance in a licensed premises.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said that on December 13 last year at 5.45pm, Crawford entered Happy Sun Restaurant on Hill St, Yeppoon, and went to the bar.

There were people dining at the restaurant at the time.

Sgt Ongheen said Crawford was served a “Baileys on ice” and he remained at the bar and drank it.

Sgt Ongheen said over the next 10 minutes, Crawford “helped himself to the tip jar on numerous occasions, grabbing handfuls of coins at random times”.

“The manager saw (Crawford) do this, and asked (him) to leave,” Sgt Ongheen said.

The prosecutor said after Crawford was asked to leave, he told the manager he “was putting money in the tip jar, not taking it out”.

Sgt Ongheen said the manager again asked Crawford to leave and Crawford raised his voice and said he was going to stay in the restaurant.

“(Crawford) got more irate and yelled: ‘And then I’ll put your heads through the window’,” Sgt Ongheen said.

Other people in the restaurant heard the threats.

“He (Crawford) continued to rant until he finished his drink, and the manager told him not to come back, at which time he left,” Sgt Ongheen said.

Police attended the restaurant and viewed CCTV footage.

“And it clearly depicts (Crawford) reaching into the tip jar at different times and taking coins, and putting them in the pocket of his jeans,” Sgt Ongheen said.

The prosecutor said Crawford had three pages of criminal history which included “a wide array of offences” and he’d had convictions recorded in the past.

Solicitor Krissy Cummins said Crawford accepted the facts read in court by the prosecution.

Ms Cummins said that as well as taking money from the jar, Crawford had put some in the jar.

She said Crawford only had a “very vague recollection” of the night of the incident.

“He has a problem with alcohol,” Ms Cummins said and she added that Crawford had attended a number of Alcohol and Other Drug Services (AODS) sessions.

The solicitor also said Crawford, a pensioner with nine adult children, had suffered a brain injury many years ago and that had affected his memory.

Before handing down penalty, Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said Crawford had “one of the most unusual (criminal) histories I’ve seen”.

“Because it goes over such a long period of time to when you were a young person, but it’s been quite sporadic,” she said.

“There’s been years at a time where you’re not coming to court.

“I’m thinking that those years were where someone was looking out for you or you stopped drinking, something of that nature.

“But you need to never drink, I’m afraid.”

Mr Crawford told Ms Beckinsale that he “had not had a drink for eight weeks”.

Ms Beckinsale placed Crawford on six months’ probation and a conviction was recorded.

Originally published as John Ian Crawford stole from a tip jar ‘numerous times’ at the Happy Sun Chinese Restaurant, Yeppoon