A Magistrate has said a Daisy Hill man who stole eight trailers in a two-month spree across Ararat and Ballarat was "willy-nilly knocking off trailers".
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Daniel Ansaldi, 28, pleaded guilty to stealing trailers and driving while on an illicit substance in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Ivan Blomeley told the court on April 11 last year at 3.28am, the man stole a trailer from Barkly Street, Ararat. The tandem was valued at approximately $2400, with Ansaldi caught on CCTV towing the trailer.
"Upon returning home, the accused has then posted the trailer for sale on Gumtree," Sergeant Blomeley said.
The court heard that in March last year Ansaldi stole a $2000 trailer from Springmount, and an $800 trailer from a property in Ararat.
Sergeant Blomeley told the court than in April, the guilty man stole a heavy duty trailer from Ararat valued at $2500, a $2000 trailer from Golden Point and stole a $500 box trailer from Cressy. In the same month, he also stole a $2500 trailer from a Ballarat property and a $2000 trailer from Black Hill.
Defence lawyer Neville Rudston argued for a community correction order, telling the court two months before the offending, Ansaldi's children were taken into the care of the Department of Human Services.
"He spiraled into highly-problematic ice use," he said. "There has been no further offending since then. (His) priority is to get the children back.
"This offending lacks some of the excesses that some people fall into."
Magistrate Simon Zebrowski told Ansaldi the offending was "more serious" than just giving him a fine.
"He's just going around, willy-nilly knocking off trailers," he said. "He won't get his kids back if he's sitting in Port Phillip Prison."
Ansaldi was disqualified from driving for three months. Sentencing will continue in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on March 13.