Thief’s trail of evidence

Cut helped police catch crim

A HAPLESS thief came undone when he accidentally cut himself and left blood at multiple crime scenes around Geelong, a court has heard.

Forty-year-old Christopher Dent (right) targeted a range of local businesses during a crime spree last year.

Geelong Magistrates Court heard the father of one was trying to get money for cigarettes and drugs when he committed the offences.

Dent, of Norlane, pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges including burglary and theft.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Victoria McPhee said Dent’s crimes began on June 11, 2020, when he damaged property at Pitstop Car Wash in Norlane.

Security footage showed Dent using boltcutters in a failed attempt to force entry to a control panel.

A short time later, he tried to break into a vacuum machine and steal coins.

The court heard Dent caused an estimated $1000 damage and cut himself during the incident, leaving blood at the scene that police traced to him.

His offending continued later in the evening when he gained access to a vehicle storage area in Grovedale that belonged to a waste management company. Dent forced entry to several vehicles in the compound and stole a toolbox.

He again left blood at the scene, this time on a centre console inside one of the vehicles. Dent also admitted to a burglary at The Power In You Project, an addiction treatment centre in South Geelong, where he stole two laptops in August 2020.

He was arrested three days later when police raided his home.

Dent told police some of his crimes were part of a plan to get money to buy cigarettes, while the stolen laptops were traded for drugs.

When asked why he committed the burglary in South Geelong, Dent told officers: “To be honest, no real reason … (I) just did it because I could.”

Defence lawyer Stephanie Mawby said her client was a recovering drug addict who had a “breakdown of sorts” when he committed the crimes.

“Mr Dent is incredibly remorseful and embarrassed by his conduct,” she said. Magistrate Simon Guthrie deferred sentencing until June 23.