THEFTS FED DRUG HABIT

A CORIO man was jailed for 18 months yesterday after admitting he burgled three Geelong homes in broad daylight to feed his heroin habit.

But Peter Beyersdorfer was out on bail shortly afterwards, launching an appeal against his sentence.

The Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard the 37-year-old was caught red-handed on July 21, police finding him unloading a wealth of stolen electrical items from his car on Aberdeen St.

The loot – including three laptop computers, two hard drives, a mobile phone, a Navman and a camera – was pilfered from a home on Noble St, Newtown, just 15 minutes earlier.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Peter Beard said officers intervened about 1.45pm after spotting Beyersdorfer unloading the property from his car in a large suitcase that he’d stolen when he burgled a home in North Geelong two days earlier.

The owners of the New- town home were still unaware their house had been burgled at the time the arrest was made. But the court heard Beyersdorfer admitted his crime and directed the officers to the address on their way to the police station for his interview.

He knocked on the front door of the home and used a jemmy bar to wrench it open when no one answered.

The court heard he’d used a similar method to break into the laundry of the home on Bell Pde, North Geelong, on July 19 between 7.30am and 12.15am.

Sgt Beard said that property was “ransacked”, with antique jewellery, a digital camera and a money box taken as well as the suitcase.

Beyersdorfer pleaded guilty to counts of burglary and theft for each crime, and also for an offence a month earlier in Highton. The court heard he went to that Mt Pleasant Rd home in his own car, committing the burglary between 10.15am and 2.30pm while an unknown co-offender waited behind the wheel.

Smashing the glass panel to a door at the rear of the prop- erty, he raided the master bedroom and office, stealing $800 cash, jewellery, a watch, a bottle of gin, a tablet computer and a credit card. The court heard he even stole the home’s security system, but was spotted leaving by a witness.

Beyersdorfer told police the crimes were committed to feed his heroin habit.

But he refused to name the person to whom he’d traded the stolen property for the drug, the court heard.

Magistrate Leonard Brear heard the man had limited intelligence, but had expressed remorse.

However, the magistrate noted the impact of the crimes on the victims, and the lack of effort the burglar made to help recover their property.

He said one victim had provided a “moving” victim impact statement that illustrated why “in the Court’s view residential burglaries are very serious offences”.

He sentenced Beyersdorfer to an 18-month prison term with non-parole period of six months, but the man was bailed after launching an appeal.