An Illawarra duo who failed miserably in their attempt to blow up a Shellharbour ATM will learn their punishment in June.
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Kane Gleeson,40, from Barrack Heights, and Kerry Imisides, 57, from Koonawarra, had hoped to make off with the cash inside the machine so they could buy drugs - and had come up with a brazen plan to carry out the theft.
However, far from making a successful withdrawal at the College Avenue machine, the pair left empty handed, abandoning half their equipment when they were interrupted mid-heist.
OMFG hectic chase brother, dead set was being watched, not even filled it up n cars from every direction.
- Kane Gleeson's text message to Kerry Imisides
Court documents said CCTV showed the two men drive a red Hyundai Veloster Turbo into the carpark near the ATM just before 2.30am on September 18 last year.
They parked the car and unloaded a yellow crow bar, red plastic petrol can, black spray paint, a garden hose, rope and a red gas bottle.
The pair then covered the ATM lens with spray paint, jemmied the plastic flap from the cash dispenser off with the crow bar and pumped gas into the ATM using garden hose.
Gleeson then soaked the rope with petrol and used it as a fuse from the side of the building. The flame caused the gas inside the machine to ignite.
Meanwhile, a driver passing by saw the suspicious behaviour and drove into the carpark, prompting Gleeson and Imisides to flee in the Hyundai.
The driver contacted triple zero. Emergency services arrived a short time later and extinguished the fire, which had damaged the front of the machine but failed to breach the inner cavity.
Meanwhile, investigating officers intercepted Gleeson's conversation with Imisides an hour later: "OMFG hectic chase brother, dead set was being watched, not even filled it up n cars from every direction. But I blitzed m in da veloster, lol. Don't txt or tell anyone please brother, cheers, come see me after work, I'll be right then."
The duo was arrested in November and charged with attempted aggravated break, enter and steal and recklessly damaging property by fire, to which they pleaded guilty in court last week. They will be sentenced on June 21.