A Wollongong man has been denied bail over allegations he was behind a spate of crimes committed in the Illawarra over the past five days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Shane Benjamin Morley is accused of starting his crime spree by breaking into a Corrimal home last Thursday night and stealing the owner’s Mitsubishi Lancer.
It is alleged Morley stole number plates from two other Lancers on Friday and Saturday, the first parked at Fairy Meadow and the second ay Gwynneville.
Police allege Morley then broke into another house around 2.30am on Sunday morning, stealing a GPS unit, sunglasses and a wallet from a car that was parked inside a garage.
Morley allegedly tried to use one of the credit cards from the wallet to pay for fuel at a service station at Heathcote half an hour later. However, the transaction was declined.
The following day, a man reported the number plates of his Lancer had been stolen while the car was parked at the commuter car park next to Wollongong Railway Station.
A further theft of Lancer number plates reportedly took place that evening, from a house in Wollongong.
At 1.45am yesterday morning police arrested Morley at West Leagues Club at Unanderra on an outstanding warrant related to the break and enter offences.
During a police interview, Morley allegedly admitted to trying to use the credit card at Heathcote, and to driving around in the stolen car.
Arresting officers allegedly found five sets of number plates in the rear of the stolen car Morley had been driving.
A check identified them all to be stolen, police documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court said.
It is alleged Morley told police: ‘‘You knew I stole the number plates last night. I knew I was going away for the warrant so I just did it’’.
Morley was charged with two aggravated break and enters, four counts of stealing and one count each of suspected stolen goods in custody, unlawfully possessing number plates, stealing a car, entering a vehicle without the consent of the owner, dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and stopping in a disabled parking space.
He is also facing an unrelated charge of contravening an AVO.
In court yesterday, Morley’s lawyer, Angela Melouney, said her client would agree to abide by strict bail conditions if released.
She said he could report to police daily and wouldn’t approach any prosecution witnesses or alleged victims in the matter.
However, Magistrate Susan McGowan refused bail, noting Morley had a poor record for obeying court orders.
