A homeless man admitted to stealing four Olympic medals from a famous rower’s car, saying he got into the car because of a faulty lock.
Drew Ginn’s medals – three gold and one silver – were stolen from his Land Rover while it was parked in Melbourne Docklands on 6 September.
Headphones, a wallet, a camera and a wetsuit were among the other items 47-year-old Luke Townes also stole from the vehicle.
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CCTV footage showed tons going through the trunk, which was unlocked due to a breakdown.
He was arrested in Brunswick on September 11 following a public appeal by police and Ginn.
Tons faced Melbourne magistrates court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to more than 50 charges related to widespread car thefts and burglaries.
He used Ginn’s bank cards to rent an e-scooter before spending $10 on food at Hungry Jacks.
Ginn said his medals had been left in the car after he had given a lecture at a school hours earlier.
“They were hidden in the car, but the car was completely ransacked, so a lot of things were broken and destroyed,” Ginn told ABC Radio at the time.
The court was told the incident followed months of break-ins and attempted break-ins by Townes, including a burglary in St Kilda where he threatened to stab a victim for attempting a citizen’s arrest.
Thawne’s attorney, Rachel Gorbachinska, said he had been homeless for several years and was trying to recover from drug use.
“Mr Townes was incredibly remorseful and wanted to stand trial today,” she said.
Ginn was a member of the legendary Oarsome Foursome, a series of Australian coxless foursome crews.
Participated in gold-winning routines at the 1996 Atlanta Games. and silver in London 2012.
He also won doubles gold medals in Athens in 2004. and Beijing in 2008.
It was not clear in court whether the medals had been returned.
Tons will be sentenced at a later date.
