Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh.
It was the bizarre craving that saw a man break and enter into a Woolworths store in Sydney’s CBD, cause $750 worth of damage in the process, then go on to steal a packet of mixed nuts worth about $2.
Indeed, one may surmise that if you were going to go through all that trouble to break and enter into a premises, then steal things, you might as well make it worthwhile and pilfer a whole bunch of stuff.
But not for this man who clearly had just one type of snack on his mind.
Alas, his late-night hunger has now left him wanted by authorities and in a hell of a lot of trouble.
Tough Nut to Crack: Man Holds Bag of Nuts Like Trophy, Leaves Store with Nothing Else
According to reports from NSW Police, the incident took place around 3:20am on Saturday 26 September 2020, when the man forced entry to the Woolworths supermarket on George Street in Sydney’s CBD, which was closed at the time.
CCTV vision of the break and enter shows the man physically pushing his way through the front glass sliding doors then entering the store.
Once inside, his target is palpable – a packet of mixed nuts worth about a couple of dollars, which, in the footage, he holds up like a trophy, before exiting the store back through the glass doors.
Officers attached to Sydney City Police Area Command were notified of the break-in and an investigation was soon underway.
Since then, police have released the CCTV vision as part of their inquiries and are seeking assistance from the public with the nut fiend now on the loose.
The damage he caused to the supermarket’s doors is believed to be worth $750.
As depicted in the footage, the nut thief has been described as being Caucasian in appearance, bald, and somewhere between the age of 45 and 50.
He is shown donning a grey shirt, a black jacket over the top with a hood, jeans and brown shoes.
Public Bewildered as News of Nut Fiend and his Pitiful Bag of Stolen Mixed Nuts Hits Media Outlets; Make Light of Incident with Ample Nut Puns
As one might expect, after NSW Police released the CCTV footage of the incident, the response from the public was that of confusion and bewilderment.
In one post of the video shared to Facebook, this sentiment was undeniable as users left comments such as, “All that damage for a bag of nuts!!!” and “How bizarre”.
One user jested, “Sounds like he must be an out of work brain surgeon or rocket scientist. All that for a packer of nuts. Really? Some people….”
But for others, this was an opportunity to throw out some nut puns.
“Police thought he might be crazy, but now they think he’s nuts,” one user commented.
“What an absolute nutter,” another joked.
The nut pun trend was backed by other social media users, who shared comments such as “Nut case!”, “Some nuts for a nutter lol”, and, “He is either a nut himself. Or he is on some sort of high nuts or just born a nut. Either way he nutted the nuck up.”
One user simply concluded, “Whatever bar he was drinking at really needs to start offering some complimentary beer nuts!”.
Why Do People Crave Nuts?
Whether on their own or in trail mix, nuts are a delicious snack and give our bodies fibre and nutrients.
In fact, as Australian organisation Nuts for Life recommends, nuts are lauded as one of nature’s most nutritional powerhouses.
So, it may not come as a surprise to learn that when we have a sudden craving for nuts, it may indicate an underlying nutritional deficiency or medical condition.
One such deficiency may be that of magnesium, which often leads a person to crave nuts, particularly cashews.
Magnesium is essential for proper muscle function and strong bones, and a deficiency can lead to high blood pressure, muscle cramps and insomnia.
Eating about 30g of cashews provides 83 milligrams of magnesium, or 21 percent of the daily value for this essential mineral.
Another reason you may crave nuts is due to stress, which has a tendency to lead to emotional eating.
Emotional eating often includes consuming high-calorie, fatty foods.
Nuts are a remedy to this – they are sources of essential nutrients, such as fibre and potassium, with a good amount of fat.
As such, it is not uncommon that we turn to them as a form of comfort food.
Nuts for Life, which is Facilitated by the Australian Nut Industry Council (ANIC), advises eating a healthy handful of nuts every day.
Doing so has been shown to support heart health, manage diabetes, and help maintain a healthy weight.
NB: Just don’t be a nutcase – make sure you buy them and not steal them!
We get it – sometimes, our cravings get in the way and lure us into doing all kinds of crazy things until we attain that dose of satisfaction.
Nevertheless, whether for a bag of mixed nuts or something more extravagant, it remains an offence to break into a house or premises and steal property from it or carry out any other serious indictable offence.
Click here for an outline on the charges, defences and penalties on break and enter and commit serious indictable offence.
This offence carries up to 14-years-imprisonment, pursuant to section 112 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).
Have a question on this law topic? call our 24/7 hotline today. We have Parramatta, Sydney CBD and Blacktown criminal lawyers who specialise in criminal law.