A Canberra man who sparked an extensive search when he allegedly fled police at Calvary Hospital has been accused of stuffing bottles of expensive wine and French bubbly down his pants in a string of thefts in early December.
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Garry Gordon, 27, is alleged to have nabbed bottles of Nicolas Feuillatte and Moet & Chandon champagne, as well as Penfolds Bin 150 shiraz, together worth more than $1000, in a crime spree which lasted several days.
Gordon was arrested on December 8 but later escaped from the hospital, where he had been taken for medical treatment.
He was captured a couple of days later and formally charged when he faced the ACT Magistrates Court, represented by Legal Aid, on Thursday.
Gordon did not enter pleas to six offences including minor theft, escaping custody and possessing a knife.
A police statement of facts said CCTV cameras showed Gordon took six bottles of Nicolas Feuillatte brut champagne, costing $65 each, from a shelf before he shoved two bottles down his pants and walked out of Supabarn in Casey on December 4.
He's alleged to have returned the next night and stashed six bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne, each priced at $60, in a shoulder bag before he again left without paying.
The next day, Gordon allegedly removed the security tags from two $120 bottles of Penfolds Bin 150 shiraz and exited the BWS liquor store in Franklin with the wine down his pants.
Less than 24 hours later, Gordon returned to Supabarn and loaded six more bottles of the Nicolas Feuillatte brut into a bag.
He was confronted by a staff member but eventually left the supermarket, court documents said.
Workers at each store reported the incidents to police.
Police arrested Gordon at his family home the following night. He was taken to hospital for medical treatment a few hours later.
Court documents said nurses were treating the accused when he allegedly abruptly stood up and pushed a table over towards police.
He then ran out an exit door and into the night as he yelled: "I can't go back there."
Police believed he was referring to the Alexander Maconochie Centre, court documents stated.
Officers could not catch Gordon and his disappearance triggered a Canberra-wide search which lasted nearly two days.
Gordon was again arrested after police allegedly found him with a knife during a confrontation at a bus interchange in Tuggeranong on December 10.
He was taken for a mental health assessment before the case returned to court.
The prosecutor opposed an application for bail, noting Gordon's criminal history was 24 pages long and largely filled with dishonesty offences.
He acknowledged Gordon's ongoing mental health problems but said the accused had a significant gambling habit which seemed to be at the root of the alleged crimes, and his offending was linked to attempts to pay back his debts.
Magistrate Robert Cook refused bail on grounds Gordon was likely to commit further offences.
The case returns to court next week.
