Habitual crook Travis Treyvaud made a glaring mistake in trying to get away with stealing a telly from his Albury caravan park unit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After unhooking the set that he had only demanded from the park manager a couple of weeks earlier he went straight to a Lavington pawnbroker.
But the pawnbroker recognised the handwritten part number on the back.
That showed the business had first sold the television to the caravan park.
Treyvaud fled when told the police had already been called and were on their way.
Defence solicitor Tim Hemsley said it was clear that Treyvaud’s actions were “not terribly sophisticated”.
“He doesn’t have a good record your honour,” Mr Hemsley told magistrate Tony Murray in Albury Local Court.
But Mr Hemsley said Treyvaud had made some progress in being able to secure part-time work as a kitchen hand. He also had not re-offended for about nine months.
“Given his past record, it’s quite an achievement,” Mr Hemsley said.
Mr Murray told the Lavington man he had a “long and inglorious” history for dishonesty.
That was made clear in papers put before the court that revealed Treyvaud had been charged over the years with 46 offences in Victoria.
These related to personal and domestic violence, theft, driving matters, breaches of court orders and fraud.
The 36-year-old has pleaded guilty to a single count of larceny, but only after prosecutor Sergeant Rowen Harris withdrew charges of steal property in a dwelling or house and goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen.
The court was told the Department of Housing gave Treyvaud a temporary placement at the Albury Central Tourist Park in North Albury on February 22.
The next day the park manager supplied Treyvaud with a small television after he had complained the one in his cabin did not work.
He took the new television to the pawnbroker on March 9 about 2.10pm.
Police said the staff member immediately recognised the handwritten part number on the back “as one belonging to his store”.
A check of computer records revealed the television had been sold to the caravan park.
A phone call to the park manager then made clear the television “was not (Treyvaud’s) to sell”.
Treyvaud will be assessed for a community service order, with sentencing to take place on February 15.
