Middle-aged dad burgles Glenorchy Bunnings

A middle-aged Tasmanian dad cut through a wire fence, broke into Bunnings, and plundered $5000 worth of goods.

A middle-aged dad cut through a wire fence, broke into the Glenorchy Bunnings, and plundered $5000 worth of shelves in a stealing spree.

Dale Roland Robertson fronted Hobart Magistrates Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a raft of stealing, trespassing, and breach of bail offences.

The court heard at 4pm on April 2 2022 the 53-year-old cut through the fence of the Glenorchy Bunnings, piled flatpack shelves onto trolleys, and loaded them onto an awaiting ute.

When staff noticed the missing shelves they went back through the CCTV footage and watched Robertson robbing their warehouse.

On June 5 at 10am 2022 he entered an Animal Tuckerbox pet shop, bought some items, and on his way out of the store he picked up a rabbit hutch and made off with it.

The rabbit hutch was worth $236.

On 9 December 2021 he used bolt cutters to snip the bike lock of a $2000 Giant roadside bicycle and ride off on it.

Police spotted him riding on the Intercity Cycleway near Newton and demanded him to stop, but instead he rode off into the distance prompting a police chase.

Robertson jumped the fence into Moonah Primary School, but was crash tackled by police officers while crossing the oval.

On June 15 2022 he was arrested at his house and taken to Glenorchy Police Station for questioning.

He denied having been at Bunnings, having stolen the rabbit hut, and having attempted to break into Rydges Hobart.

However he would later enter guilty pleas to all charges at the Hobart Magistrates Court.

His defence lawyer said Robertson’s offending was driven by drug abuse and some friends who were bad influences.

The defence said he’d been off drugs for 14 years, and had only recently relapsed.

“Unfortunately in his older age he’s touched back with some old associates, this led to drug use, and this led to this offending quite directly,” the defence said.

“He’s been away from those associates for in excess of six months now, he’s been entirely drug free for six weeks now, and he’s in the process of getting pharmacological help.”

He also noted Robertson was an Aboriginal father of a 25-year-old and a 19-year-old.

For his breach of bail offences Robertson was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment, wholly suspended for two years.

For all other trespass and dishonesty offences he was given a global sentence of four months in prison, wholly suspended for three years.

He was also ordered to attend community corrections to help kick his drug habit.

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