POWER TOOL HIDDEN IN THIEF’S PANTS
But he wasn’t happy to see police
A SERIAL thief risked more than a court appearance when he slipped a power drill and its attachments into his pants at a Gold Coast hardware store.
The ruse didn’t fool the shop’s welldrilled staff, who nailed the bumbling DIY fan in the store’s car park as he attempted to make his escape without paying for the equipment.
The man was yesterday convicted of theft at Southport Magistrates Court.
A SERIAL thief was lucky to escape with all of his attachments intact after shoving a drill down his trousers at his local Bunnings.
However Frank James Klacek could not escape the long arm of the law after being caught with his pants down in the car park of the store.
Klacek, 49, pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to two counts of stealing.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a drug.
The court was told Klacek had a history of stealing and was caught twice in three months at the end of last year.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Gregory McKenzie said Klacek was seen by an employee at Bunnings at Oxenford taking a drill out of its packet about midday on September 20.
“He put it down the front of his pants,” Sgt McKenzie said.
“He then took drill attachments from the packet and also put them down the front of his pants.”
The employee stopped Klacek in the car park after he left without paying.
Sgt McKenzie said Klacek told police he had no money to pay for the drill and needed it to work on a car he was repairing.
Klacek was also stopped leaving Coles in Southport about 5.30pm on December 7 after he was seen putting a number of items in a backpack.
Police found $62.05 worth of groceries in the bag, including electronics, for which Klacek had not paid.
Klacek had just days earlier on November 24 been found with a small amount of methyl amphetamine in a red sunglasses case when he was in a Surfers Paradise park.
Defence lawyer Lani Olafsson, of Legal Aid, said Klacek had been unemployed for “quite some time” but had recently received work with a travel company.
“It is clear from his criminal history that he has had issues with drugs in the past,” she said.
Magistrate Joan White gave Klacek 18 months probation for one stealing charge and the drugs charge.
For the second stealing charged she sentenced him to three months prison, to be suspended for 18 months.
Convictions were recorded.
Ms White told Klacek that he would face prison if he offended again.
“I am going to give him a suspended sentence in the hopes that is the carrot that keeps him on the straight and narrow,” she said.