A North Coast man who nicked a $9 bottle of wine from an Illawarra liquor store then pulled a knife on the female shopkeeper who tried to apprehend him was only in the region because he was "running away from his pregnant girlfriend", a court has heard.
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Shane Conroy was homeless and roaming the streets of Kiama when he walked into the BWS store at Kiama Village Shopping Centre on the afternoon before Australia Day and made his way towards the fortified wine section, directly across from the counter.
Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court this week said the 37-year-old picked up a $9 bottle of McWilliams Smooth Tawny port and walked out of the store without paying.
Two staff members, who recognised Conroy from an interaction with him the previous week, saw him leave the store and went to track him down a few minutes later, discovering him sitting on a nearby wooden bench in mid-swig from the stolen bottle.
The female staff member began taking photos of Conroy of her mobile phone, then walked past him and turned around to take another photo, before calling triple zero.
Conroy then put his hand into his trousers and pulled out a 20cm-long paring knife and waved it in front of his body before getting up and beginning to walk along Terralong Street.
The staffer followed Conroy and stayed on the phone to triple zero, relaying Conroy's movements to the operator.
Police arrived a short time later and arrested Conroy with the help of a bystander.
He was taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station but police were unable to formally interview him due to his aggressive behaviour.
Conroy was charged with being armed with intent, larceny and having custody of a knife in public, to which he subsequently pleaded guilty.
Facing Wollongong Local Court for sentence this week, Conroy told the magistrate through his lawyer that he had a significant history of mental health problems and had been off his medication at the time he committed the crimes.
Magistrate Claire Girotto noted Conroy was homeless at the time because he was "running away from a pregnant girlfriend".
She sentenced Conroy to six months' jail, backdated to the date of his arrest.
With time served, he will be released from custody on July 24 but will continue to be monitored by authorities via a two-year community corrections order.
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