A Hamilton man, who was today locked up over a burglary and $6000 theft at an IT shop, told a magistrate that anything but jail "would be grouse".
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Luke Knights, 39, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday to burglary and theft, retaining stolen goods and handling stolen goods.
He was jailed for six months after accepting a sentence indication, which he initially refused.
Knights told the court that he didn't want to go to jail, stating "if I could get any less (than six months) or no jail at all, that would be grouse".
But after speaking to his lawyer, Amanda Hurst, Knights agreed to accept the indication and was jailed for the six months with five days already served in custody on remand.
The court heard that Knights went to Grangeburn Office and IT in Hamilton's Gray Street about 1am on August 27
He went to the glass doors a number of times before forcing open the front doors using a tool.
Inside the store he removed three laptops and one MacBook Pro worth about $6000.
His distinctive bike was seen on security camera footage.
At 1.34am Wannon Security attended after being alerted, found the shop had been broken into and called police.
A witness gave police a description of the likely offender.
About 5pm that day police saw Knights riding a bike fitting the description.
Then on August 31 a Hamilton resident found a laptop on his couch which he believed was stolen.
Police seized the laptop and crime scene officers examined the device, linking it to Knights.
He was arrested in Warrnambool on Thursday.
On Monday Knights' lawyer said her client suffered an acquired brain injury following a "very serious motor vehicle accident" when he was 19.
"His niece refers to him as a 'lost soul' and he really needs some support," Ms Hurst said.
Magistrate Mark Stratmann said if not for Knights' guilty plea, he would have been jailed for eight months.
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