A THIEF who stole more than $100,000 worth of jewellery from a shop at Green Hills and told officers he planned to "play the mental health card in court" will be sentenced in May.
Known member of the Life and Death Outlaw bikie gang, Luke Jurak, pleaded guilty at Maitland Local Court on Thursday to a slew of charges related to the robbery.
The 37-year-old was caught as part of Strike Force Malwood investigations, a police operation launched after the theft of gold and diamond chains from the Simon Curwood store at East Maitland on July 6, 2022.
Police evidence shows Jurak rode into the shopping complex car park on an unregistered trail bike before he entered the centre wearing a balaclava and carrying a plastic Woolworths bag.
The staff member inside the jewellery store was standing near the glass cabinets when Jurak pulled out a multi-tool, smashed a cabinet open and stole two nine-carat gold and diamond chains and another nine-carat gold chain.
He bolted for the exit and fled the scene on the trail bike - leaving behind the multi-tool which police later forensically tested, finding his DNA.
A month later, police raided Jurak's home and found a pair of grey Nike TN's "strikingly similar" to the ones the burglar was seen wearing in CCTV footage.
Once at the police station, he declined to be interviewed and asked for a "Senior Officer's Order" - asking police, "are you going to take my hair out, clone me and then kidnap me?" and "are you going to take my spirit or soul from lifting my hair out?".
According to police, once the DVD recording was paused, Jurak winked and told officers he planned to "play the mental health card" in court.
On Thursday, Jurak's defence solicitor told the court he would plead guilty to all charges.
Magistrate Ron Maiden said it was a "serious matter" and a sentence assessment report would be of assistance.
A charge of stealing from a person at a value more than $5000 and less than $150,000 was withdrawn.
Jurak also pleaded guilty to a fight with another inmate and former Lone Wolf Outlaw bikie gang member while in custody on January 4, this year.
Police evidence shows he snuck up behind the inmate while he had his head inside a cabinet and started to "uppercut" him in the face and head.
Recorded phone calls between Jurak shows he later embellished the story telling someone: "I went to war with the Wolves in 5D [the prison unit] ... I just bashed the bikie boss in 5D, saying, 'I attacked the c***, tried to burn his face on the grill, burnt my elbow a little bit'."
Jurak will be sentenced May 18.
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