By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
Sentencing deferred, bail granted pending mental health report…
A CRANBOURNE East man who went on an alleged stealing-and-deception spree has been bailed, pending a delayed mental-health assessment.
Bradley Neil Cornelius allegedly stole credit cards, a purse, a pouch, a nappy bag and cash from two unlocked cars in mid-March, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told on Monday.
He allegedly used the stolen credit cards within 24 hours to buy mobile phones and SIM cards from a petrol station, and a Bluetooth sound bar, headphones and a sports singlet from a Target store in Frankston.
The court was told he failed in his attempts to buy an X-Box, an X-Box game and home entertainment system with a total value of $726 from Frankston K-Mart.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Liz Millear told the court Cornelius had also been charged over the theft of shower gel from a Cranbourne Centro supermarket in February, and with stealing a $2000 set of golf clubs from an unlocked car in Cranbourne in November.
Cornelius – using his own identification – allegedly sold the golf clubs for $50 to Cash Converters’ Cranbourne store, which off-loaded them to their Frankston outlet.
The clubs were later retrieved by their rightful owner.
The court was told Cornelius was on a 12-month community corrections order for a series of burglary, theft and deception offences.
Cornelius’ lawyer said her client was “one of those clients that continually falls through the cracks”.
The accused was compliant with his treatment regime for schizophrenia – though his treatment was being cut, his lawyer said.
He had been “sleeping in a tent in a park” during an extended period of transient accommodation.
The lawyer said a hospital was unable to provide a timely mental-health report for Cornelius’ legal defence due to the involved “cost”.
Magistrate Barry Schultz remarked the overlap of the mental-health system presented “one of the difficult areas of the criminal justice system”.
He deferred sentencing in the hope of receiving the mental-health report next week, bailing Cornelius due to his young age, available treatment and family support.
“It’s relatively low level offending … he’s becoming a serial pest in terms of his dishonesty offences,” Mr Schultz said.
“I’m not adverse to putting him on a community corrections order.”
Cornelius’ bail conditions include reporting to police, a night curfew and living with his mother – who was willing to house him on a short-term basis.
He next appears in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 9 April.
See page seven for a further story on Operation Stance as police plead with the public to keep their cars and valuables secured.
