A Wollongong man who went on an early morning break-in rampage had only been released on bail two days earlier for an assault against his father with a whipper snipper.
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Kahlib Fleming's liberty was short lived after CCTV cameras from four Illawarra businesses caught him smashing through their doors in April, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
Shortly after 1am on April 1, the 25-year-old was seen wearing a distinctive red hoodie at Graze Butchery in Balgownie when he forced open the window of a locked delivery truck parked outside.
Fleming rummaged through the vehicle, but didn't take anything. He then kicked down the butchery's front door and ran to the till - but left when he discovered it was empty.
Minutes later, Fleming used a crowbar to force his way into Balgownie Hotel. He moved through the pub and pried open several locked tills, again giving up when he found they also had no cash.
Fleming went to the nearby Ariel's Cafe and smashed through the front door's glass panels before making off with $90 from the till and $10 from a tip jar.
On April 12, while the Illawarra was being lashed with torrential rain that caused flash flooding, Fleming was captured on CCTV arriving at catering business Villa D'Oro in Fairy Meadow with an umbrella in hand at around 4.30am.
He smashed the glass of the front door by throwing a massive rock and entered through the hole he made.
In a swift three-minute operation, Fleming grabbed the till containing $350 and picked up bags of $1 and $2 coins on his way out, totalling about $1000 in cash.
The victim businesses have sought compensation for the damage to their doors, which totals over a combined $2,400.
Police collected the CCTV footage and lifted Fleming's DNA from Ariel's. He was arrested at his Wollongong address on April 12.
Tendered court documents state Fleming was jailed for four break-ins in 2021, and jailed for another three break-ins he committed in 2022.
He was jailed for 18 months for another break-in during 2023.
"These actions instil fear into the community," tendered police facts state of Fleming's crimes.
Wearing prison-issued greens, Fleming dialled into Wollongong Local Court from custody on Tuesday.
He pleaded guilty to entering a vehicle without consent, two counts of break and enter with intent to steal, and two counts of break, enter and steal.
Magistrate Mark Douglass acknowledged Fleming had essentially been subject to an unbroken sequence of sentences since 2017.
Fleming was also serving another sentence that exceeded the magistrate's jurisdictional limit in the local court, meaning he was prevented from imposing more jail time.
Fleming copped a three-year community corrections order and will be subject to supervision upon release.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
