A man who stole a $6000 generator from the Samaras food truck on the Blue Mile has found out his punishment for the crime.
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Kieran Jamieson, 30, was sentenced in the Wollongong Local Court on Monday to a nine-month intensive corrections order after pleading guilty to larceny.
Shortly after 4.30am on Tuesday, January 4 Jamieson and an unidentified person were captured on CCTV wheeling the generator away from the food truck, which was parked near the Continental Pool.
The theft was discovered that same morning when Samaras employees showed up for work.
Jamieson was identified as a culprit when police and council security guards reviewed the Blue Mile's CCTV footage.
That afternoon, security staff in the Crown Street Mall spotted Jamieson and police arrested him.
He admitted to his involvement in the theft and gave police information that led to the recovery of the generator and its return to Samaras.
Defence lawyer Ben Hart told the court that Jamieson pleaded guilty to the crime at the earliest opportunity.
Mr Hart said Jamieson had a criminal record but there had been a gap in his offending, and while he was on bail for a weapons offence at the time of the theft, he had not breached that since entering it in 2020.
Jamieson had a 12-month-old child, he said, and that had forced him to turn his life around; he now ran a lawn mowing business with his brother.
Mr Hart said Jamieson had been drinking with friends and it was an "opportunistic" crime.
He also pointed out that Jamieson helped police recover the generator.
Mr Hart said Jamieson had already spent a week in custody and a community corrections order was an appropriate sentence.
Magistrate Greg Elks took into account Jamieson's guilty plea in sentencing, but said his criminal record did not help him.
While he accepted the crime was opportunistic, Magistrate Elks said it was serious enough to warrant custody.
However, he said that sentence could be served in the community through an intensive corrections order.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
