A 34-YEAR-OLD living in Casterton at the time of his arrest remains in custody following a spate of burglaries in the area.

Vincent Roberts was arrested on Wednesday morning at his George Street residence, with Hamilton CIU members and Coleraine uniformed police, and was interviewed at Hamilton police station, before he was charged with four counts of burglary, four counts of theft and one count of unlicensed driving on Wednesday night and remained in custody before he fronted Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Friday.

At the bail hearing, police opposed bail being granted, following three separate burglaries at Ford Luers Road, Casterton, Lower Coleraine Road, Sandford, and Dartmoor-Hamilton Road, Hamilton.

Mr Roberts fronted court and remains under a suspended sentence bond in South Australia, with one of the conditions that he would not leave the state.

The stolen items included household items, jewellery including an engagement ring valued at more than $7000, and commemorative items were located which linked him to a burglary in Casterton and one in Hamilton.

Police allege Mr Roberts broke into a shed in George Street, Casterton, on January 8 and stole a leaf blower, batteries and other hardware items, before attending Cashzone in Mount Gambier to pawn the items.

Mr Roberts is alleged to have also been involved in burglaries on January 18 and 31.

Hamilton CIU’s Detective First Constable, Seth Hughes said there had been 16 burglaries in the Southern Grampians in January, with no unlinked burglaries since Mr Roberts’ arrest on Wednesday.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said there was an “unacceptable risk” and refused Mr Roberts’ bail application, ordering him to remain in custody and to re-appear in Warrnambool Magistrates Court via audio-visual link on February 12, 2024.

Mr Roberts is also set to appear in Port Pirie Magistrates Court tomorrow for an application of enforcement of police bond.