BY ISABEL EVERETT
A 24-year-old man is due to face court on Monday, after allegedly breaking into the soft-top convertible of an elderly woman, and damaging the interior at Marketown Shopping Centre on Sunday.
It is alleged around 3pm, while the 85-year-old woman was shopping, a male not known to her approached the vehicle in the underground car park, where the soft-top was damaged, allowing the male to unlock the door and open it.
An amount of damage was caused to the steering column surrounding the ignition and a garage door remote was stolen.
Newcastle police say the owner of the car returned finding the male standing near the drivers door of her vehicle, when she challenged him before reporting the matter to centre security.
Whilst at the scene the male was reportedly sighted outside the shopping complex on Steel Street. Police approached where he was arrested without incident.
When searched a knife was found in the rear waistband of his pants.
He was also found carrying a small screwdriver, property allegedly stolen from the shopping centre and the victim’s garage remote and was taken to Newcastle Police Station.
The McCullys Gap man was later charged with eight offences including destroy or damage property, enter vehicle without consent, larceny, shoplifting, goods in custody reasonably suspected stolen, custody of knife in a public place, custody of an offensive implement in a public place and attempt take & drive conveyance without consent.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on June 22nd.
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| Image: NSW Police Force |
