The Tatura man, 51, and his co-accused — a Mooroopna man, 43 — both pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to criminal damage.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Luke Lund told the court the men had been out drinking in Shepparton when they went to the ANZ ATM in Wyndham St at 1.22am so the Tatura man could withdraw money.
When the machine failed to eject his card, the Tatura man went away before returning about 20 minutes later. He then punched the ATM several times before hitting it with a metal road grate, smashing the screen.
The Tatura man pulled the ATM’s screen away and retrieved a card believing it was his.
When he realised it was not his card, the pair returned to the machine 10 minutes later and both men pulled the screen away and reached in trying to find the Tatura man’s card.
The Mooroopna man pulled out multiple electrical cables, causing further damage, before the pair left empty-handed.
At 2.33am, the Mooroopna man again returned to the ATM and hit it several times with a metal footpath utilities cover.
The pair went back two hours later and the Tatura man told police who were there that he had damaged the ATM, and gave police the bank card he had pulled out of the machine.
The Tatura man’s solicitor Emma King told the court her client “hit rock bottom” that night and accepted he had to change his life.
She said since then he had stopped drinking alcohol and was now proud of who he was.
As well as giving up alcohol, the man was wanting to see a psychologist for counselling sessions.
Magistrate David Faram adjourned the matter for three months to make sure the man was following through on abstaining from alcohol and attending a psychologist.
The Mooroopna man’s solicitor Adrian Ambrose argued most of the damage was done by the Tatura man and his client had just pulled on the cables.
He was fined $750.