Numerous items stolen from retailers over a 48-hour shoplifting spree has resulted in prison time for a Yass man.
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Corby Ben Bruggerman, 25, appeared via audiovisual link at Goulburn Local Court on September 20 and pleaded guilty to two counts of shoplifting, larceny and resisting or hindering police in the execution of duty.
Police facts tendered in court said Bruggerman stole several items from Yass retailers over two days, starting at Star-Mart Caltex on September 5 about 7.25pm, where he bought Tallyho cigarette papers, but stole a CD and two cans of John West salmon.
The next day, about 10am, he hid a pork leg, valued at $50 in the Yass IGA shop, under his shirt in full view of a staff member.
That afternoon, he then pocketed two safety glasses from Home Timber and Hardware, valued at $40.
Police facts said CCTV footage and witnesses assisted the police to arrest him on September 6.
Bruggerman, holding a bottle of pre-mixed coke and alcohol, was aggressive towards the police.
In court, his solicitor told Magistrate Geraldine Beattie the ‘resist or hinder of police in the execution of duty’ charge was “more of a hinder than a resist”.
“He needs to get into residential rehabilitation and he hopes the court will allow him to do this to address his issues,” his solicitor told the court.
Magistrate Beattie said she accepted Bruggerman’s early plea of guilt but maintained his offences were a matter of concern as they had impacted three separate businesses.
“I know I’ve spoken to you many times over the years,” she said.
“I hate it that you’ve proved me right, that you now have a custodial sentence as an adult.
“The police were just doing their job and you reacted quite violently.
“They don’t need to deal with this.”
Magistrate Beattie sentenced Bruggerman to nine months’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of five months, dated from September 6.
Moving a car ends in jail sentence
A man who drove while drunk has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Robert Charles Norris, 57, of Goulburn pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving when he appeared in Goulburn Local Court on September 20.
Police facts tendered in court said they were patrolling Clinton Street, Goulburn on August 26 at 8.10pm when they observed Norris driving a Hyundai Tiburon.
He drove through the Clinton-Bourke roundabout and drifted from one lane to another, which caused a vehicle in the second lane to brake, flash their lights and sound their horn.
Police pulled the vehicle over and gave Norris a roadside breath test, which proved positive.
They arrested him and took him to Goulburn Police Station where a further breath analysis returned a reading of 0.189.
In court, his solicitor outlined the circumstances that led his client to drive that day.
“He is a veteran who suffers from PTSD,” his solicitor said.
“His wife suffers from dementia and he is her sole carer.
“On that day his wife drove the car to a location and could not recall where she had parked it.
“My client then received a phone call from the police saying the car was blocking a laneway in Cowper Street and would have to be moved within two hours.
“Mr Norris got a taxi to the site and asked the taxi driver to move the car, but it was becoming an expensive taxi trip by that stage and he felt less affected by alcohol, so he decided to drive the car away.
“It was a poor decision and his driving record does not assist him.’
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie said in open court that it was Norris’ third drink-driving offence.
“You have crossed the threshold for imprisonment,” she said.
“I accept your concern to move the car, but because of the significant amount of alcohol in your system you were not able to drive at the time.
“You know better than a lot in the community that you should not be drinking and driving.”
She gave Norris a suspended nine-month jail sentence to be served in the community and disqualified him from driving for nine months, with an interlock period of 24 months following that.
Sleepy speeder fined after ‘micro sleep’
A speeding driver who fell asleep at the wheel near Marulan has been fined.
Huseyin Telim, 51, of Gymea Bay pleaded guilty to speeding when he appeared in Goulburn Local Court on September 13.
Police facts said on June 5 at 5.36am, Telim was observed driving a car at 131km/h in a 110km/h zone on the Hume Highway near Marulan.
His vehicle was seen to move across lanes to the side of the road before correcting.
Telim represented himself in court and said he had had a micro sleep. “I woke up and realised I had crossed lanes. It was a micro sleep that lasted only a few seconds,” he said.
He told the court he was driving south to Wagga Wagga and after the incident he pulled over and had a rest.
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie asked him why he did not stop earlier, at Sutton Forest. “I felt OK at that point," he said.
Ms Beattie said Telim had given a “scary explanation” to the court.
“You were 21km/h over the speed limit and you fell asleep and awoke from the vibrations caused by your vehicle crossing to the side of the road.
“I can’t express enough how lucky you are that you did not hit anyone else or that you did not did not go off the road and hit a tree and kill yourself.
“You put everyone else’s safety at risk.”
She fined him $300.