By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A 34-year-old Cranbourne man has begged for “one more chance” after pilfering scores of power tools from tradies’ utes in car parks across the South East, a court has heard.
Travis Kenyon pled guilty to more than 30 charges from a seven-month stealing spree in 2023 that netted about $78,000 of power saws, drills, multi-meters, drivers, nail guns, grinders, batteries, tower lights, handtools and similar equipment.
Kenyon preyed on 23 utes at day and at night, targeting Dandenong Plaza, Karingal Hub, Fountain Gate, Carrum Downs, Northland and Knox shopping centres.
Other targets were Sandhurst, Keysborough and Centenary Park golf courses, Dandenong and Cranbourne basketball stadiums and Chisholm Tafe campuses in Dandenong and Berwick.
Some others were parked at Sandhurst Motel, Frankston RSL, Hoyts cinemas in Frankston and a Mornington Peninsula bottle shop.
The unemployed Kenyon would typically park next to the utes, access their rear canopies – forcing them open if they were locked – and take equipment worth up to $5000 at a time.
Despite being placed on four counts of bail at his parents’ house and a night curfew in September 2023, he continued stealing up to his arrest in December.
His phone included photos of tools sent to seven would-be purchasers.
One of his victims recognised his power tools being sold on Facebook Marketplace by Kenyon’s associate.
The associate later told police he’d bought the tools from Kenyon for $350.
On 7 May, defence lawyer Vanda Hamilton told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court that Kenyon offended months after leaving a successful stint of residential drug rehab at Odyssey House.
He ran astray after accepting back his phone – with its list of criminal contacts, Ms Hamilton said.
He’d succumbed to “loneliness” and a need to “re-connnect”, and was now “remorseful” for his “very stupid behaviour”.
Ms Hamilton argued for Kenyon’s sentence to be deferred, in order for him to return to Odyssey.
He needed to “grapple” with a long-standing drug addiction that had “blighted his life, blighted his family’s life”.
Kenyon was coming to an age that he was young enough to turn his life around. But if he didn’t, he’d be in and out of jail.
If he did well at Odyssey, she’d submit for a combination of 151 days already served in pre-sentence remand and a community corrections order with “significant” volunteer work.
Dandenong magistrate Greg Connellan said Kenyon – who had served two jail and CCO sentences for similar offending – had thrown the victims’ lives into “chaos, if not into ruin”.
“These are small business people going about their daily lives … their tools of trade disappear, their income disappears.”
Most tradies had relatively young families and carried the stress of managing their own business.
When Kenyon was charged and bailed in September 2023, he didn’t seek Odyssey’s support and continued to steal, Mr Connellan said.
“That’s my concern.
“Odyssey is a lot more comfortable than Port Phillip Prison but it’s what happens when he leaves.”
In response, Ms Hamilton argued that a CCO would support Kenyon after his release from Odyssey.
A police prosecutor submitted that Kenyon’s “prolific” thieving required “manifest denunciation” and further imprisonment.
“Compliance on a CCO is not too promising given his prior (offences).”
Pleading for “one more chance”, Kenyon told the court that he’d left Odyssey too early last time and “it all crumbled for me”.
“I really want this chance. I’m very remorseful – I know I shouldn’t have done what I done.”
Mr Connellan replied: “The word ‘remorseful’ for someone in your position isn’t a particularly convincing term.”
After holding his head in hand and pausing for 15 seconds, Mr Connellan asked Kenyon how long he’d stay at Odyssey this time.
“Two years – I need this for myself,” Kenyon said.
“Two years is nothing out of the rest of my life.”
Mr Connellan noted that he’d have to finalise the matter before he leaves the magistrate’s bench in March 2025.
He deferred Kenyon’s sentence and bailed Kenyon to re-enter Odyssey the next day.
Kenyon was ordered to remain at Odyssey until successful completion of his treatment.
If “all goes well” by early 2025, Kenyon was likely to receive a two year CCO with no further jail time, Mr Connellan said.
“You better be good to your word,” he warned.
