By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
AN IMPRISONED Cranbourne North man will not serve further jail time after pleading guilty to a $50,000 home burglary.
Agim Abdi, 32, who appeared via a prison video-link at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday 21 September, pleaded guilty to three charges, including breaking into a car parked at a Melbourne Airport long-term car park in March.
Abdi used an address book and household keys found in the vehicle to break into the owner’s house in Box Hill North, the court was told.
During the burglary, Abdi stole birth certificates, passports, clothing, jewellery and electronic goods valued at $50,000.
He also made more than $3000 of unauthorised transactions using the owner’s credit cards at a Harvey Norman outlet, a Ray’s Outdoors store and a Berwick ATM.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Tanique McFarlane told the court that Abdi was identified on CCTV while using the credit cards.
Further evidence was found in the accused’s bedroom.
Abdi declined a police interview at the time.
Abdi’s lawyer said the accused was remanded on 9 March over the offences, which weren’t considered when he was jailed for 14 months at a Dandenong Magistrates’ Court hearing on 4 May.
During that hearing, Abdi pleaded guilty to high-end burglaries and thefts, including a $20,000 ransack that cleaned out a Lynbrook home in 2013.
He was also sentenced for breaching two community corrections orders, stealing mail from home mailboxes in Berwick and taking trade tools and two jaws-of-life in a commercial burglary in Wheelers Hill.
He had already served 56 days in pre-sentence detention and was eligible for parole from 8 August.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen convicted and fined Abdi $1500, noting further jail time would interfere with his parole prospects.
He said had the March burglary and thefts been part of the May hearing “it wouldn’t have made any difference to your ultimate sentence”.
“It’s in your interest and everyone’s interest that you’re released as soon as possible – so when you’re released you are on parole.”
