A teen certainly hasn't missed his calling for the secret service, after he fell from the roof of a Berkeley tobacconist and sustained head injuries during a botched Mission Impossible-style break-in.
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Kalan McPhee told a court he didn't remember crawling through the roof cavity of CTC Berkeley at Winnima Way about 4am on Tuesday due to a heroin and meth binge.
While inside, the 18-year-old fell through the thin roofing sheets, sustaining lacerations to his head and leaving a hole in the building's ceiling.
Despite his injuries, McPhee managed to get up and make off with a charity box containing $60 in coins, as well as a pair of Apple AirPods worth $309 - concealing them inside his clothes.
However his fall into the shop triggered CCTV which alerted the owner of the premises, who contacted police saying someone was inside the store.
Police were waiting for McPhee outside the store's entrance and chased after him as he fled.
McPhee was stopped on the corner of Devon St and St Albans Pl, with several coins scattered on the ground next to him.
Officers took a phone from McPhee and saw messages from a woman he is prohibited from contacting by way of a court order, saying "Jay wants to leave. He will ditch".
"He's going to f---in' leave Kalan. We ain't there I think he's heading back to drop me at mine. Cops everywhere, Jay ditched u (sic)."
McPhee was arrested and treated for his head injuries by paramedics in custody. He was later escorted to hospital for scans and further treatment.
At Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to two charges of break, enter and steal and contravene and apprehended violence order - despite not remembering the ordeal.
"I started taking heroin and meth a few days ago and I didn't remember leaving my house," McPhee said.
Arguing for his release, defence lawyer Max Staples said McPhee has diagnosed schizophrenia and a substantial drug abuse issue.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Pavlin opposed McPhee's release, arguing he was on bail for unrelated matters at the time of offending.
Magistrate Claire Girotto said there were no conditions that could mitigate risks of reoffending and refused bail.
The matter was adjourned to May 31.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
