David Becker, 25, who is currently serving time in prison for other matters, appeared at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday October, 17 and pleaded guilty to two charges of shop theft. 

The court heard how Becker entered the UFS Pharmacy on Sturt Street on February 19 this year and approached the unattended counter at the front of the store.

He took a baby monitor from the counter a placed it on a nearby display rack before continuing to browse the rest of the store.

CCTV footage from the pharmacy showed Becker then attempted to conceal the monitor in his jacket before leaving the store but the motor was clearly visible in the footage. 

A few weeks later, on March 5, Becker entered the Petstock on Latrobe Street and and took two bark control dog collars from the front counter of the store. 

He was approached by a staff member at the store and asked if he needed any assistance to which he replied “I’m good, thanks.”

Becker then made a show of walking down the dog food isle with the collars in hand before making a hasty exit when he thought staff were not watching him. 

The same member of staff who questioned Becker earlier saw him leave the store without paying for the collars and chased after him but was unable to catch Becker before he got into a car and left the premises. 

Along with the extra  time on his sentence, Becker has been ordered to repay $540 to the victims for the combined value of the dog collars and baby monitor.

Defence Lawyer for Becker, Scott Belcher, conceded that an immediate jail term was the only appropriate sentence available to the court.

In his sentencing remarks, Magistrate Ronald Saines warned Becker that any repeat offending at the end of his current prison term will attract harsher penalties. 

“If you keep stealing things you will be more frequently and longer in prison,” he said. 

Becker will serve one month of his new sentence concurrently with his current prison term and another month cumulatively.