Simon Antony Beeck: Handed suspended prison term, ordered to pay compensation for York Street rampage

An Albany man who smashed the front windows of two Albany businesses with a golf club, causing damage estimated at more than $25,000, has been ordered to pay compensation and handed a suspended prison term. Simon Antony Beeck appeared in Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday, charged with two counts of criminal damage or destruction of property, stealing, and assaulting a person providing a health service to the public. The 43-year-old pleaded guilty to the criminal damage and stealing charges and not guilty to the assault charge, which has been listed for a trial allocation date on November 6. He was sentenced on the criminal damage and stealing charges. Police prosecutor Sgt. Dylan Fisher said Beeck walked past the Monk and Hound Barbershop on Stirling Terrace on July 7, and swung a golf club he was carrying into the front window, shattering the glass and causing damage estimated at $10,000. He continued walking up York Street with the golf club and did the same to the Commonwealth Bank, with Sgt. Fisher telling the court the bank was quoted $17,191 to fix its smashed front window. Beeck was arrested by police in the Amcal Pharmacy on York Street a short time later, still holding the golf club. When asked by officers why he had gone on the rampage, he told them he was angry because he “couldn’t get a coffee”, when he usually had a coffee in the morning. Defence counsel Wendy Stewart told the court Beeck told her he swung the golf club on the “spur of the moment”, without stopping to consider the consequences. Sgt. Fisher pointed out that Beeck’s offending appeared to be indiscriminate, as neither of the businesses he damaged even sold coffee, and said his actions showed a lack of control at the most minor inconvenience. On July 30 Beeck was caught stealing an $8 bottle of port from Katanning BWS, which magistrate Erin O’Donnell ordered he pay compensation for. Ms O’Donnell said this spate of offending, particularly the damage to the two shopfronts, displayed a “complete lack of emotional regulation”, and she conceded he had caused a significant amount of damage. She ordered combined $13,277 compensation to be paid to the three businesses, $8000 to Commonwealth Bank, $5277 to the Monk and Hound Barbershop, and $8 to Katanning BWS. Beeck was fined $50 for stealing from Katanning BWS, and sentenced to two 10 month jail terms, to be served concurrently and suspended for 12 months for the damage offences.