A brazen thief caught with drugs after stealing from Warrnambool stores has been jailed for 29 days.
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Matthew Howarth, 22, of Warrnambool, told the court that the 29 days spent on remand in custody had been “so bad” that he would never steal again.
Magistrate Peter Mellas sentenced him to time served.
On August 18 Howarth attended a sporting goods store on Liebig Street in Warrnambool about 12pm.
He grabbed an armful of clothes, including several shirts and jumpers valued about $500 and ran out of the store without paying.
At 3.30pm that day he attended another sporting goods store on Raglan Parade and stole a Nike branded jacket, jumper and t shirts worth $245.
A witness reported the incident and police attended the store. Howarth was arrested and a search located a small bag containing 0.81 grams of meth in his pocket.
He was charged and bailed with conditions he report to Warrnambool police station and reside at a motel in Verdon Street.
But when Howarth failed to report on August 22, police attended the motel and checks revealed he was not living there.
Howarth was later arrested on Raglan Parade.
Police said that during an interview, Howarth became frustrated and threw two chairs at a wall before yelling inappropriate comments at a female officer.
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