By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A MAN convicted of stealing furniture and a Cranbourne police officer’s cap badge, belt and buckle was released on Monday after serving 142 days in remand.
A court was told that Mark Sutherland, 39, of Cranbourne, claimed he had organised buying the police paraphernalia on trading website Gumtree though he couldn’t produce a receipt.
Police had found the haul in Sutherland’s drawer as well as the stolen furniture at a Cranbourne rental share-home during a raid on 7 February last year.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Chris Capuano told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday that Sutherland and a co-accused had stolen a small trailer from a Cranbourne East residence in December 2013.
Sutherland returned the trailer the next day after learning it was owned by an “associate known to the accused” – though some of the trailer’s contents including a sledgehammer, router and extension lead remained missing, Sen Const Capuano said.
The accused denied knowledge of the incident or knowing the co-accused, but admitted owning a blue Statesman similar to that captured on the victim’s CCTV during the theft, Sen Const Capuano said.
He had failed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 4 September over the alleged theft, the court was told.
Last year, Sutherland had also been intercepted driving unlicensed in a car carrying weapons such as a baton which doubled as a torch, and two “fantasy knives” that could be combined as one weapon.
On another occasion he was intercepted driving a vehicle with stolen number plates. Inside was found a large hunting knife and amphetamines.
The charges arose while Sutherland was serving a community corrections order.
Defence lawyer Raphael de Vietri conceded that Sutherland’s compliance with the CCO was “not good” during a time when the father-of-two lacked stable accommodation.
Mr de Vietri said Sutherland’s 142 days in custody was “sufficient penalty”, arguing to continue his community corrections order was not in “my client’s best interests”.
Sutherland had a long-standing history of drug-use stemming from “significant tragic” childhood events and leaving home at a young age, Mr de Vietri said.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen fined Sutherland $1700 and declared his remand period as time served.
“The slate is clean for you,” Mr Vandersteen told Sutherland.
“I feel for your dad (watching in court). It’s frustrating (to look) at your age that you’re not getting it together.”
