A serial thief who stole two kittens because he “loves animals” is likely to face imprisonment.
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The court heard that, on 10 May 2018, Nathan Dwyer visited the Ballarat Animal Shelter and stole two 10-week-old kittens while the cages were unattended.
After staff noticed the kittens were missing, Dwyer was identified by staff from CCTV footage that showed him walking away from the shelter wearing a black backpack that was “bulging and moving.”
The kittens were later found at Dwyer’s residence and he was charged with theft and breach of a Community Corrections Order (CCO) and bailed.
However, on arrival for his court appearance on Thursday, he was again arrested after security screening revealed a concealed knife.
Defence lawyer James McKenzie said Dwyer had been given the ‘credit card knife’ some time ago, had put it in his wallet and had forgotten it.
Magistrate Gregory Robinson said the accused had a lengthy criminal record.
“Is there a year when he hasn’t gone to jail for theft and dishonesty?,” he said, holding numerous pages.
Despite defence submissions that Dywer had been a “model CCO client”, Mr Robinson said Dwyer “had proven a CCO doesn’t work … he is given the opportunity and now he’s stealing cats and bringing knives onto the premises.”
Mr McKenzie appealed on Dwyer’s behalf saying the “kittens were very, very cute” and that, on the day in question, the kittens’ adoption price was reduced from the usual $180 and the fee was only $100 per kitten.
“All the more reason he could have paid for them with money lawfully obtained, like everyone else,” Mr Robinson said.
The magistrate said he was seriously inclined toward a prison sentence.
“I am not convinced that two cats is an insignificant thing. He’s a habitual offender who seems to have been a menace around Ballarat for a long time,” he said.
However, Mr Robinson was eventually persuaded to allow time for Corrections Victoria to make submissions on the accused’s behalf and Dwyer was remanded to appear in Ballarat Magistrate’s Court on 25 October.
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