Gambling and drug addictions ultimately led to a parcel delivery driver stealing tens of thousands of dollars in phones destined for Border Telstra shops.
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Damon Caylup Mirkovic was warned his offending was so serious that he could very well be off to jail on being sentenced on Friday.
Albury Local Court magistrate Sally McLaughlin told him she had not yet made up her mind, though the threshold for custody definitely had been crossed.
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Mirkovic's offending across most of 2021 was described as "unsophisticated" and opportunistic.
He used his own workplace identity scanner to transfer parcels to his delivery van.
But before delivering the high-price Apple i-Phones, Samsung Galaxy phones and Apple watches to Telstra's Albury and Wodonga shops he opened the parcels and helped himself.
Mirkovic then sold the phones, via Facebook Messenger, to a man in Melbourne by the name of Dharmeshbhai Patel.
When NSW Police, with the assistance of Victoria Police, ultimately visited Patel's home in the outer north-eastern Melbourne suburb of Doreen, he admitted to buying from Mirkovic for a total outlay of $76,750. But he denied knowing this was stolen property.
In total, Mirkovic stole phones and watches valued at $74,595.64. He pleaded guilty to 16 charges of larceny as a bailee and 13 of disposing of stolen property.
'This is a serious set of offending and I do not resile from that," defence lawyer Jaimee Simonsen said.
"It was, however, unsophisticated and it was inevitable he would be caught."
Mirkovic could be eligible for a jail sentence served in the community - an intensive corrections order - but only if he moved to NSW.
Ms Simonsen said Mirkovic had taken steps to get help with his addictions, as well as mental health issues including depression, anxiety and thoughts of self-harm.
"Mr Mirkovic needs a great deal of support in each of these. He is only 25, he is specially vulnerable."
The court was told Mirkovic was employed by the Australia Post-owned parcel delivery operation StarTrack, in Boronia Street, North Albury.
His job involved using his scanning identity to in turn scan parcels arriving from Melbourne and Sydney before placing these in his work van for delivery across the Albury-Wodonga area.
A complaint was lodged that parcels containing phones and watches were tampered with and missing items.
On one occasion, on October 7, three Apple watches valued at just under $2000 and seven Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra mobile phones valued at just over $10,500 were stolen.
Mirkovic was arrested in Thurgoona on February 1. Police found, in his garage, an empty box marked with a bar code linked to one of the thefts.
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