Windows of nine cars smashed at train station

He is charged with nine counts of criminal damage, four counts of theft from shops, five counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail, and four counts of contravening a bail condition.

He has not entered pleas to any of the charges.

Shepparton police First Constable Elise Scacco told the court Mr Mahoney smashed the rear windows of nine vehicles parked in the Shepparton train station car park during the day on January 11.

He also allegedly stole an electric scooter e-bike battery charger, worth almost $100, from Jaycar Shepparton when a shop assistant turned their back on him on April 7.

He was also in the store despite a condition of bail that he was on that he didn't go there.

He is charged with stealing two bicycles from Big W in Shepparton three days later, on April 10, while on April 26 he allegedly stole three bottles of spirits, worth more than $170, from Fairley’s IGA supermarket in Shepparton.

Mr Mahoney also allegedly stole a tyre tube worth $25 from Anaconda in Shepparton on May 15, while his bail conditions also stipulated he must not go to the store.

The court heard he also failed to report to Shepparton police station as part of his bail conditions on May 11 and 13.

First Constable Scacco also told the court Mr Mahoney already had several outstanding court matters he was facing, other than these newest charges.

Many of these matters included alleged thefts from businesses stemming back to early December last year.

These included 102 alleged thefts from shops, as well as two other alleged thefts.

He is also facing other charges of burglary, going equipped to steal, attempting to obtain property by deception, 26 counts of committing an indictable offence on bail, and five counts of contravening a bail condition, and two counts of failing to answer bail.

The alleged thefts from shops included alcohol, meat, clothing, dog food, household items, tools, stationery, drinks, shampoo, medications, pharmacy items, a Ninja slushie machine, a duffle bag and a battery charger.

The alleged thefts were mainly from Shepparton businesses, but also included a trolley load of household items from Big W in Echuca and more than $500 worth of items from Chemist Warehouse in Cobram.

He also allegedly stole two rings — worth for than a total of $4000 — from Cash Converters in Shepparton, and a drill and angle grinder battery from a shed at a Shepparton property.

First Constable Scacco described Mr Mahoney as a “prolific offender” who had shown a disregard for bail, as he was already on 13 counts of bail.

“He has shown he cannot comply with bail, as he continues to commit thefts at stores he’s bailed not to attend,” she said.

Mr Mahoney’s defence solicitor Luke Slater said while police were describing it as a “fairly prolific volume of offending”, he did not have any prior court history for any offending, and as such prison was not a foregone conclusion if he was found guilty of all the charges.

He called for his client to be bailed.

In granting Mr Mahoney bail, magistrate Ian Watkins said the only risk for bail able to be put forward by the prosecution was a failure to reappear on bail.

“If I could refuse him bail on his risk of re-offending, I would refuse bail, but I can’t. I can only do it on the risk of failing to appear,” Mr Watkins said.

“His attitude to his victims seems to be, frankly, appalling.”

In granting Mr Mahoney bail, Mr Watkins said it was also possible that prison was not certain for the matters if he was found guilty.