Daniel John Schafer faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for stealing $2000 in toys from Big W

After what was called a bad day on the punt, a Toowoomba man was dragged into a family member’s scheme to steal toys from Big W. But their heist was captured on CCTV.

A Toowoomba man who got roped into a toy heist by a family member “you don’t say no to” has been handed a jail term for his involvement in the theft.

Daniel John Schafer, 26, fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to stealing.

The court was told Schafer and the family member attended Kmart in Grand Central Shopping Centre on January 23 2022 and bought furniture that came in two large boxes.

Daniel John Schafer, 26, appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on May 17, 2022 where he pleaded guilty to stealing.

The pair returned to their car and took the furniture out, before taking one of the empty boxes in a trolley with them to Big W, police prosecutor Anita Page said.

Once inside the pair proceeded to fill the box with up to $2000 worth of items, including a large number of toys and Lego, before they left without paying.

Months later on March 14, 2022 Schafer attended Grand Central Police Beat for an interview, and while he initially denied any wrongdoing made admissions to his involvement in the heist when he was presented with CCTV camera of the theft, Ms Page said.

Schafer’s solicitor Brad Skuse told the court he had been contacted by the family member, who had a bad day gambling, and asked that he help in the heist.

Mr Skuse said the family member was someone “you don’t say now to”, and that he regretted getting involved in the first place.

Acting magistrate Lisa O’Neill convicted Schafer and sentenced him to four months jail with immediate parole.