A man with a 30 year history of burglary offences has again landed himself in hot water after breaking into a shed to steal tools from a Ballarat school.
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Peter Gottlieb, 50, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court via video-link from custody where he pleaded guilty to multiple burglary offences.
According to a police summary, Gottlieb was captured on CCTV walking his dog through Mount Clear College about 4am on December 16, 2023.
This footage showed him searching the school's grounds and inspecting a garden equipment storage shed, before leaving the area.
Gottlieb then returned to the shed 10 minutes later and stole about $200 worth of power tools.
He was arrested for the robbery on January 11, 2024, and was granted bail, but a month later failed to attend his court date.
When my client is clean of drugs he's showing himself to be a dedicated father.
- Defence lawyer
When officers attended his partner's Mount Clear home on March 16, they were told Gottlieb had not been at the house for several weeks.
During a search of the property, the 50-year-old was found hiding under a pile of clothes, and police located a small bag of methamphetamine in his pants pocket.
Gottlieb was also charged with breaking into an Alfredton Garden Recycling Centre and stealing $766 cash from an office at the Gillies Street Transfer Station.
About 9.50pm on May 22, 2023, security guards attended the recycling centre after an alarm altered them to Gottlieb's presence.
When they arrived, they saw Gottlieb, dressed in black, running along the property's fence line.
The guards eventually found the 50-year-old hiding in grass and bound his hands and feet with tape while waiting for police to arrive.
When questioned by officers, Gottlieb refused to answer, and was later granted bail.
Two months earlier, Gottlieb robbed the Gillies Street Transfer Station, by using a shovel and sledge hammer to gain entry to a small office building, where he stole $766 cash, keys and garage remotes.
He was later identified for this burglary by CCTV footage and from a DNA swab taken from the sledgehammer.
During court proceedings on April 16, 2024, a police prosecutor said Gottlieb had been "burglarising the community" for the past 30 years, and thefts from schools were serious as they affected all of society.
Gottlieb's lawyer said their client had become an integral part of his partner's family unit, and helped care for her three young children.
Without rehabilitation the community will just be subjected to this for another 30 years.
- Magistrate Guillaume Bailin
They said he committed the offences to fund a long standing drug habit, but Gottlieb was motivated to rehabilitate himself.
"When my client is clean of drugs he's showing himself to be a dedicated father," the lawyer said.
Magistrate Guillaume Bailin said Gottlieb was close to receiving a jail term with a non-parole period for the offences, but said he would have him assessed for a community corrections order as the 50-year-old's rehabilitation would benefit society.
"Without rehabilitation the community will just be subjected to this for another 30 years," he said.
Gottlieb was remanded to custody and will return to court for sentencing on April 30.
