Jimmy Thomas Ferreira, 43, pleaded guilty to seven charges in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday including one count of recruiting a child to assist in carrying out criminal activity.

Police documents tendered to the court said an employee at the Carr Brothers Motorcycle Shop wheeled a blue and white Yamaha that was missing a chain out the front of the store around 8.30am on May 27 to set it up on display, along with a host of other bikes.

All the bikes were brought back into the store at the end of the day, at which time the employees noticed the Yamaha was missing.

They contacted police, who canvassed nearby business. An employee of another business told officers they recalled seeing a “tall, skinny male” pushing a bike matching the description along the roadway around noon that day.

Police contacted a motorcycle shop in Oak Flats, who reported a man matching the same description came into the shop earlier in the day and inquired about purchasing the same type of bike as the one stolen.

Ferreira was arrested four days later. The court heard the boy involved in the incident was given a caution under the Young Offenders Act.

His involvement in the crime was not further revealed in court documents.

Ferreira will be sentenced at a later date.