Community work for beer burglar busted breaking into garages

Sam Keegan, 27, of Murray Street, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty to breaking into the garages of his victims and drink driving.

On April 11 last year Keegan was intercepted drink driving with a reading of .054 along Warrnambool's William Street and an oral fluid test revealed he was also under the influence of methamphetamine.

He told police he had four or five Carlton Dry cans of beer and lost count after eight cones of drugs but had thought they would have been out of his system when he drove.

At 8.40am on August 30 last year Keegan was seen by a resident crawling towards a garage.

The victim yelled out and Keegan fled. The victim later identified Keegan who also made admissions to his offending to police.

On September 12 someone stole a six pack of Jim Beam bourbon cans from a garage and six boutique beers.

The following day Keegan was seen exiting a Hyder Street garage by a man in his underwear who was inside his home holding an eight-month-old baby.

The victim yelled out and then chased the offender, while just in his underwear, down Koroit Street and apprehended him.

He took his 10 Carlton Dry stubbies off Keegan and returned home.

Keegan was identified as the offender and arrested later that day.

He told police a mate owed him beer and he must have mixed up the address, but when questioned by police he could not provide the mate's address.

Keegan said he was sorry for scaring people in their homes and explained he sleep-walked when he drank alcohol.

He also failed to appear in court during December last year.

Keegan was placed on a corrections order in April this year and is also on a justice plan to assist with his mild intellectual disability. He works four days a week.

Lawyer Kerry Schroeder said Keegan started using alcohol and drugs after the death of his grandparents about three years ago.

Magistrate Mark Stratmann said the offending was almost a mirror copy of previous offences.

He said burglary was a crime that breached community trust and Keegan breaking into properties made the victims and their family and friends feel less safe.

Keegan driver's licence was cancelled for 12 months, he was convicted and placed on another community corrections order for a year with the condition he do 75 hours of community work.

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