Parmelia man, Robert Leslie Coffin, jailed for two years over burglary

A man who stole $5000 worth of jewellery, an iPhone 4 and several cards, told Rockingham Magistrate’s Court he committed the offence because he “had no money to treat himself”. Robert Leslie Coffin, 39, was jailed for two years last week for stealing, burglary and committing an offence in a dwelling, possession of drug paraphernalia and a breach of bail. Police prosecutor Vanessa Day told the court about 1.55pm on February 3, Coffin jumped the side fence to a property along Corring Way in Parmelia. He then moved two CCTV cameras so they faced away from him, before throwing a wagon wheel garden ornament through a glass sliding door to get inside the house. He stole about $5000 in jewellery, an iPhone 4, gold scissors and various bank and identification cards from the women who lived at the address, before fleeing the home. Coffin was found by police at a park in Parmelia with all the items he stole, and a glass smoking implement with traces of cannabis in his back pack. He was taken to Kwinana Police Station and released on bail but later breached his bail conditions, which led to his second arrest. His lawyer Carys Hawkins said Coffin had just become homeless because someone had drained his bank account and he was trying to get back to Port Hedland, where he used to live. During his first appearance in court, Magistrate Vivian Edwards asked Coffin why he had decided to break into the house he told her he had no money to treat himself and that was why he had to “do this stuff.” Ms Edwards said Coffin was a third striker, as he had previous similar offences on his record, and said a jail term was needed. She gave him credit for his early guilty plea, fined him $800, required he forfeit the $1000 personal undertaking for breaching his bail and placed an order for destruction of the glass smoking implement.