A young man who refused to stay in his room in a lockdown motor inn had weeks earlier broke into three homes in Balgownie and stole several items, a court has heard.
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Alex Sangster, 18, was refused bail in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday for breaching COVID directions, four break and enter offences and larceny.
Documents tendered to court said Sangster was notified he was unable to leave his Piccadilly Motor Inn room due to a COVID-19 outbreak on September 18 but allegedly continued to wander the hallways and went into other people's rooms.
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Police allege Sangster was seen jumping from the window onto the roof, before officers attended and told to get down and return to his room.
Police allege Sangster was recognised through his rat's tail haircut.
Sangster was arrested on Tuesday after police went into the accommodation about 9.30am.
Officers allege Sangster was sighted in the hallway before he was taken to Wollongong Police Station where he was charged.
Police allege Sangster broke into a three-storey home on Peace Crescent, Balgownie on September 7 where a Makita hedge trimmer, a nine-inch angle grinder and a Blue Dolphin torch were stolen while the homeowners were at home.
The couple heard a loud bang about 5.30am but assumed it was the wind before seeing their garage door lock damaged and the items stolen.
Sangster alleged attempted to break-in to another home a couple of houses away and in the process damaged the rear screen door and flyscreen. Police allege the torch from the other home was left outside.
Despite not gaining access to the home, police allege Sangster stole two Bluetooth speakers and three pairs of shoes.
A third home was also allegedly broken into while the homeowners were getting ready for work about 5.45am. However, the homeowner reported no items were stolen but the garage door appeared to be partially opened.
Police allege Sangster then went to a nearby home on The Parkway where two unregistered motorcycles, a bicycle and laptop were stolen.
The documents said a witness saw two people wheeling a motorbike down the street about 5.35am. One of the motorbike was valued at about $18,000.
The other motorbike, a jumper, two pairs of shoes and two Bluetooth speakers, believed to be stolen from the second house, were located in a nearby yard on The Parkway.
Police allege data and telephone intercepts of a mobile phone number believed to belong to Sangster placed him at the scene.
A man named "Alex" allegedly identified himself on the phone and tried to sell off the expensive motorbike.
"The intercepted conversation and SMS video confirms Sangster has knowledge and possession of a motorcycle from Balgownie and is trying to sell it for cash and drugs," police allege in the documents.
Police further allege the man's voice on the phone "is identical" to Sangster's and that cell phone tower data placed him and his mobile in the Balgownie area at the time of the break-ins.
In court on Wednesday, Sangster's lawyer Anastasia Socorro said her client would be going into adult custody for the first time and was an Aboriginal man at risk of institutionalisation.
She also suggested the prosecution case was weak as there was not enough evidence to put Sangster at the locations committing the break-ins, and also no stolen property was found on him when arrested.
Ms Socorro said Sangster was also attempting to address his marijuana addiction and could not do that in custody.
Ms Socorro also suggested Sangster could live with his mother in Bellambi, report daily, not leave home without his mother, abide by a curfew and not enter the suburb of Balgownie.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Ben Bragger opposed Sangster's release noting there was a risk of him committing further break and enters in Balgownie and targetting "high quality property" as the suburb was one of the more affluent areas of Wollongong.
Magistrate Susan McGowan refused to grant Sangster bail as she did not believe he would listen to his mother and abide by the strict conditions.
The case was adjourned to November 17.
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