A man who jumped several fences in a failed attempt to evade police came up with a creative backstory for a stolen jacket that still had the security tag attached.
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Cecil Collis of Nunkeri Place was in possession of a black Kathmandu jacket which police suspected of being stolen when they caught him on August 2, 2023.
According to court documents, police were patrolling Orange when they saw the 29-year-old standing outside a location which was well known for illicit drugs about 11am.
Collis saw the police and ran from the front to the back of the premises and jumped over multiple fences in an attempt to flee from the police.
However, he was found standing on a shed at a neighbouring house.
He was engaged in a conversation before he ran again for a short distance until he was caught.
He was wearing a black Kathmandu jacket with an electronic theft prevention tag still attached when the foot pursuit ended.
Collis told the police he bought the jacket from Kathmandu in Dubbo and bought the theft prevention tag on Ebay for $20 and attached the tag to the jacket himself.
The possession of the stolen jacket was just one of several offences Collis was sentenced for in Orange Local Court on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Just days after he was charged for the jacket he came up with another creative excuse when he was found in possession of a knife.
Police were patrolling Allenby Road at 1.45am on August 8, 2023, when they saw Collis and another man standing near a phone booth on Allenby Road.
Collis was seen throwing an object into the grass behind the phone booth before walking towards the police.
The police searched the area and found a purple kitchen knife, with a sharp 10 centimetre blade in the grass.
When questioned Collis said he had the knife to take home and cut potatoes.
He was involved in a third offence on August 27, 2023, when he stole a bottle of Jim Beam and cola from BWS Orange Bathurst Road.
At 1.15pm he entered the store and went to the cool room where he removed four cans of 375ml Jim Beam and Cola double serve cans worth $9.30 each.
He put the cans into his pockets and down the front of his pants before approaching the counter and asked to look at a pack of cigarettes.
He also bought a bottle of Sprite and left without paying for the Jim Beam cans.
The staff member who served him was shaken by his behaviour during the interaction and contacted their manager.
The manager reviewed the shop's CCTV the next day. They saw the theft and reported it to the police.
Magistrate David Day sentenced Collis on June 20, 2024.
Before the sentence was handed down solicitor Andrew Rolfe addressed the court and said Collis had a significantly disadvantaged childhood.
Mr Rolfe said Collis spent six months in custody before being released into residential rehabilitation.
"He spent one month in rehabilitation then left that program," Mr Rolfe said.
"It's my submission that the offending occurred at a time when he was having some relationship issues and was not coping with that," Mr Rolfe said.
"He's somewhat stable now."
Mr Rolfe argued that Collis did not cross the custody threshold.
However, police prosecutor Sergeant Beau Riley disagreed with him.
"He has received a custodial sentence in the past," Sergeant Riley said.
"I have known Mr Collis for the last 20 years ... when he's not affected by the [substance] he can maintain a prosocial life.
"He offends very quickly when the drugs take over.
"I say the [custody] threshold is crossed for the knife offence and the larceny.
"If he goes back on the drugs and commits further offences he will go back to jail."
Mr Collis sat through the hearing with his arms folded and jiggling his leg but apologised after hearing Sergeant Riley's argument.
"I'm sorry for doing the crimes, I'm sorry, I will reimburse them," he said.
Mr Day said Collis would be sentenced for two charges, the shoplifting and knife possession while the possession of the stolen jacket was treated as a back-up charge.
"The knife offence is more serious because he has a history of knife offences," Mr Day said.
"We live in an unarmed society."
He said Collis' criminal history did not help him but he had some prospects of rehabilitation.
Mr Day said the custodial threshold was crossed and sentenced Collis to a 12-month community-based jail sentence.
The sentence was for all offences and included rehabilitation and treatment and that Collis abstain from alcohol and drugs.
