Love stole about $200 of goods from the Fryers St Food Store coolroom on April 16, 2024, after an unknown male broke into it and told others it was open.
Love told police he stole a leg of ham, two trays of lemon slice and a tray of rocky road slice.
Two other people also stole several items before one of them returned with Love.
In total, about $1000 of meat, dairy and vegetables was stolen.
On a separate occasion, an off-duty police officer saw Love riding away from Aldi carrying items after a burglary there on June 6, 2024.
He told police he got the box “from a bin outside Aldi”.
He was searched, and police found scales, a 1.43g bag of cannabis and two bags with 1.69g and 1.24g of methamphetamines, respectively.
On another occasion, he stole $223 of items from Coles Shepparton before being confronted by a security guard and returning them on September 11, 2024.
He also used someone else’s credit card to buy $29 of items from Liquorland and $15 of items from Kmart in April 2023.
When Love faced court in October 2024, his solicitor Megan McKenna said her client had been homeless at the time of the theft from Fryers St Food Store and was living between properties.
“Upon being advised there was a fridge of good-quality food, he attended,” she said.
Ms McKenna said drugs had been a “feature” of Love’s life, and that he had attended a drug rehabilitation facility for a significant amount of time but was made to leave the program because he drank alcohol during weekend leave from the facility.
Magistrate Olivia Trumble deferred sentencing Love when he was in court in October last year and varied his bail conditions to include that he takes part in the Court Integrated Services Program before returning to court.
In court on February 13, Ms Trumble said Love had done well on CISP in “difficult circumstances” and sentenced him to a 12-month community corrections order.
As part of the order, Love must undergo drug and alcohol treatment, complete offender programs and receive a mental health plan from a GP.
Ms Trumble said Love had been at risk of going to prison, but was now in a position where he could do well on a community corrections order that was “all treatment focused” and “all about rehabilitation”.
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