Man remanded in custody over alleged business burglary spree

The 51-year-old man from Kaleen faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday. Photo: Albert McKnight.

A man has been remanded in custody while he awaits surgery after he was arrested for an alleged overnight burglary spree at several businesses.

ACT Policing was told several businesses in Mitchell were allegedly broken into between 8 pm and 3 am over Wednesday and Thursday night (27-28 November).

One business claimed thousands of dollars in cash had been stolen from its premises.

Police reviewed CCTV footage and allege a blue Ford Fiesta owned by a 51-year-old man from Kaleen was being used to commit the burglaries.

The man had reported the Fiesta as stolen earlier that day.

However, when police searched his home, they allegedly found the reportedly stolen car.

The officers also allegedly found clothing matching the items worn in the CCTV footage and a sum of cash believed to have been stolen from one of the businesses.

The man was arrested, and police charged him with nine counts of burglary, one count of attempted burglary and two counts of driving unaccompanied as a learner driver.

He appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court over the phone on Friday (29 November), as the court heard he was in hospital with an infection that required surgery later that day.

He was accompanied by police.

Magistrate Ian Temby asked if he knew how long he would be in hospital for.

“A couple of days, as far as I know,” the man said.

He made no application for bail, was remanded in custody and will return to court on 9 January 2025.

Region has not named the man for now as he is in hospital and was not formally charged in court.