A Latrobe Valley man who was arrested for a burglary after leaving his icy pole stick in a stolen vehicle and his Health Care Card at the crime scene has pleaded guilty to a string of charges.
David Bates, 30, faced eight charges over the burglary of a Budgeree property during which he stole a Toyota LandCruiser and then swapped it for a motorbike under an alias on Facebook Marketplace.
The Latrobe Valley County Court heard that Bates forced entry to the property sometime in May or June 2021 when residents were still recovering from storms that caused destruction in the area.
He then stole the LandCruiser, an air rifle and tools.
The property owners were able to raise Bates as a suspect with police after he left his Health Care Card underneath the box of the stolen rifle.
The court heard he then listed the LandCruiser on Facebook Marketplace under a fake name, using photos of the vehicle.
He asked a Safety Beach resident to swap it for a Suzuki motorbike, motorbike gear and $2,000 cash.
Facebook Marketplace is a section of the social media platform that allows users to buy, swap and sell items.
The court heard when swapping the vehicle Bates told the receiver he had forgotten his identification.
The court heard the receiver later reported the vehicle after noticing scratch marks around the key barrel.
It heard police found an icy pole stick in the vehicle that had DNA that matched with Bates.
Bates pleaded guilty to charges including burglary, theft, obtaining property by deception, conduct endangering persons, possession of a drug of dependence, handling of stolen goods and theft of a firearm.
Impacts of crime
In a victim impact statement, the owner described his turmoil following the theft of the LandCruiser.
He said he had inherited the vehicle from a friend of 48 years but, after the theft, it had been returned to him damaged and was subsequently written off.
The victims estimated the total value of lost items was $25,000 and sought compensation.
"I no longer feel safe … I don't feel confident any amount of security will actually make a difference," a victim read out.
Bates was arrested after crashing the motorbike into a vehicle performing a U-turn in Winnindoo, near Rosedale.
He was taken to the Alfred Hospital with significant injuries.
Blood samples revealed very high levels of methamphetamine in his system.
Bates appeared in court via videolink from Ravenhall Correctional Centre where he had been detained since his arrest.
The court heard Bates was on bail in April last year when he reversed into a police vehicle and drove off while suspended after police went to his property to issue him with a firearms prohibition order.
Bates will return to Latrobe Valley County Court at a later date for sentencing.
