A Koonawarra man may have missed his calling in the secret service, after using a strap to lower himself down from a Woolworths roof cavity, cutting wires to disable an alarm, and making off with almost $40,000 worth of cigarettes.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"You've certainly got some skills..." a Wollongong magistrate told the man on Thursday, before he was convicted of a Mission Impossible-style heist at Dapto Woolworths.
Glenn Wheeler, 47, had pleaded guilty to two counts of break and enter, after he stole cigarettes from the Woolworths and a Caltex Service Station in Albion Park.
Court documents reveal that just after 9.30pm on Good Friday last year, Wheeler accessed the rooftop carpark of Dapto Mall which was closed to the public.
The mall was closed for business on Good Friday, with no workers or security on site.
From the carpark, he jumped onto the roof of the mall, then used a tool to remove screws holding down the tin sheet.
He cut through a layer of insulation to access the roof cavity directly above the Woolworths store.
Wheeler then removed a section of roof panelling to give him direct access above aisle 18.
He fastened a green ratchet strap to a metal beam within the roof cavity and threw the end of the strap down to the Woolworths floor, then used it to climb down himself.
Wheeler used a metal bar to pry open a locked cupboard and take approximately 46 cartons of cigarettes, worth over $26,000.
He placed the cigarette cartons inside a doona cover and left the store through an emergency exit.
Eight days later, Wheeler robbed a Caltex service station in Albion Park just before 3.30am, cutting several wires to disable the alarm box.
He used two screwdrivers to force open a cabinet door and obtain several sets of keys, which he then used to open a cigarette cabinet.
He loaded almost $13,000 worth of cigarettes into a large green and white bedsheet, before grabbing a V energy drink from the fridge and leaving the store.
Police said he was only on the property for a total of six minutes.
He was arrested on April 30, 2021, after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Defence lawyer Matthew Ward said Wheeler struggled with his mental health, gambling and substance addiction, and was willing to attend rehabilitation.
"This is not someone seeking to obtain great profit," Mr Ward said.
"It's out of desperation in some respects."
Magistrate Girotto handed Wheeler a 26-month aggregate sentence, with a non-parole period of 13 months backdated from April 30, 2021.
"You've certainly got some skills if you can do what you did in these matters," Magistrate Claire Girotto said.
She encouraged him to "utilise them in a better way".
To read more stories, download the Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Rosie Bensley
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
