Dale Love, 41, of Shepparton pleaded guilty to burglary, theft, two counts of obtaining property by deception, retention of stolen goods, possessing methamphetamine, possessing cannabis and theft from a shop.
Prosecutor Sergeant Sean Walsh told the court an unknown male broke into the coolroom at Fryers St Food Store at 12.17am on April 16, before telling others it was open.
Two other people then went to the coolroom at 2.58am and stole items, before one of them returned there with Love at 3.16am.
The pair also took several items.
Sgt Walsh said meat, dairy and vegetables, worth about $1000, were stolen.
However, he said Love’s involvement was “opportunistic” and the goods he admitted to stealing were estimated at about $200.
Some of them were found later in a wheelie bin that had been dumped.
When interviewed by police, Love told them he stole a leg of ham, two trays of lemon slice and a tray of rocky road slice, Sgt Walsh said.
The court also heard that, on a separate occasion, an off-duty police officer saw Love riding away from Aldi carrying items after a burglary there at 10.40pm on June 6.
He told police he got the box “from a bin outside Aldi”.
Police found scales, a bag with 1.43g of cannabis, and two bags with 1.69g and 1.24g of methamphetamines, respectively.
On yet another occasion he stole $223 worth of items from Coles supermarket in Shepparton, before being confronted by a security guard and returning them on September 11.
He also used someone else’s credit card to buy $29 worth of items from Liquorland and $15 worth from Kmart in April last year.
Love’s solicitor, Megan McKenna, told the court her client had been homeless at the time of the theft from Fryers Street Food Store and was living between properties.
“Upon being advised there was a fridge of good-quality food, he attended,” she said.
Ms McKenna said drugs had been a “feature” of Love’s life, and that he had attended a drug rehabilitation facility for a significant amount of time but was made to leave the program because he drank alcohol during weekend leave from the facility.
She also told the court Love’s child was currently in hospital with a serious injury.
Magistrate Olivia Trumble deferred sentencing Love, instead varying his bail conditions to include that he takes part in the Court Integrated Services Program before returning to court.
She told him if he could complete the program, she would have him assessed for a community corrections order, but warned that if he did not complete it, she would jail him.
“The burglary charge is a serious charge,” Ms Trumble said.
“Entry to a small business in a local community … it can have a big impact.”
Love will return to court in mid-November.
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