A Melbourne man allegedly horded thousands of pairs of stolen women’s clothing, including underwear, bras and exercise pants, in his family bedroom and used them for private sexual purposes, a court has heard.
Reservoir father Joshua Murrell, 34, was denied bail in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where he is facing charges of theft, stalking and trespass.
Police alleged that for more than two years Mr Murrell, who is unemployed and lives with his elderly father, has been stealing intimate women’s clothing from clothes lines and washing baskets in the northern suburb of Reservoir.
The court was told that when police executed a warrant at Mr Murrell’s Hickford St address on Wednesday, July 6, the stolen clothing was “knee high” in his bedroom, where there was also a sex doll attired in the stolen items.
Police alleged the clothing was soiled and that some had semen stains.
They said investigators began to close in on Mr Murrell, who they allege had been stealing clothing from women in Reservoir since September 2019, when one woman installed a CCTV camera in her courtyard.
The court was told that at 3am on June 29, the accused was captured on camera in the woman’s courtyard, where he stole gym pants, a leotard and crop tops.
The woman is now “too terrified” to return home, the court was told, for fears she is being deliberately targeted.
Police also alleged Mr Murrell had attempted to cut through flyscreen doors to access laundry if it wasn’t available on a clothes line.
On Monday, police said they attended Mr Murrell’s bedroom and arrested him after he had been on the run for five days.
While police executed a warrant at his address on Wednesday, the accused failed to return home after his father called him and informed him of the presence of police.
They said this left his father, who suffers from an acquired brain injury, “vulnerable and alone” for that period.
Police said Mr Murrell, who they allege made videos involving himself and the doll, told them he was “disgusted” in himself.
But the court heard that when he was quizzed about the doll, Mr Murrell told police “it was just a bit of fun to cuddle”.
Police also alleged he admitted to needing help, and said he had been “doing it for years”.
Senior Constable Amanda Wright said the owners were “terrified” at the prospect Mr Murrell would be released on bail.
Ms Wright said the owners, whose addresses are within a short distance of Mr Murrell’s, “did not feel safe” and noted many were repeated targets.
Emile Barbara, acting for Mr Murrell, said his client “came to the court with some very serious issues”.
Magistrate Tara Hartnett said Mr Murrell’s release presented “real concerns”.
Mr Murrell is scheduled to appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates Court on July 28.
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