Thief who broke into Hamish and Zoe Foster Blake’s $4,900-a-week rental and stole their $123,000 Land Rover Defender while they slept learns his fate

A man who broke into the rental home of comedian Hamish Blake and his businesswoman Zoe Foster Blake while they slept and stole their luxury car has learned his fate.

Daniel Booth broke into the four-bedroom home rented by the high-profile couple in Woollahra, in Sydney’s glittering eastern suburbs, on December 20, 2021.

Court documents show the 35-year-old illegally entered the kitchen of the $4,900-a-week rental home at 6 a.m. and stole the keys to the couple’s Land Rover Defender while they slept.

Mr and Mrs Blake had rented the house over Christmas 2021 while they renovated their $8.92 million home in the waterfront suburb of Vaucluse.

He also stole Mrs. Foster Blake’s handbag, which contained the keys to her white Tesla, $1,000 cash, a very expensive designer wallet and her driver’s license.

Booth got into the Tesla without the beautician’s permission, but left it parked in the lot with the keys inside, according to court documents.

However, he did take the Land Rover, which is worth more than $123,000 and contained thousands of dollars worth of camping and fishing equipment.

Mr Blake activated the tracking device on the luxury car and traced it to an address in Redfern.

Police arrived and arrested Booth, who had in his possession Mrs Foster Blake’s car keys and handbag.

The Blakes rented a house in Woollahra while they renovated their $8.95 million home in Vaucluse.

The arrest ended his long crime spree, which began on the afternoon of December 3, 2021 when he stole a gray Volkswagen convertible as the owner watched.

Court documents show Booth drove away with a car door and trunk still open in his haste to flee the scene.

He then entered a cafe in Waterloo and snatched a pink and brown Guess handbag from a woman, who bravely chased him as he jumped into the stolen Volkswagen.

She managed to wrestle her bag back and a bystander retrieved the key from the car, forcing Booth to flee on foot.

The couple was sleeping when the burglary occurred.

In the early hours of December 14, Booth again sneaked into a house and stole the keys to a gray Audi A3 and a Calvin Klein handbag.

He found bank cards in the stolen handbag and used them to his advantage, spending hundreds of dollars on cigarettes alone.

The stolen car was in a car park in Redfern, close to where Booth lived at the time of his arrest.

He also admitted groping a female Corrective Services worker while in custody before telling her: ‘Sorry ma’am.’

Booth appeared in court at Sydney’s Downing Center on Friday after pleading guilty to a series of charges linked to the crime spree.

He was wearing black-framed glasses and a prison green T-shirt as he was beamed into the courtroom via audiovisual link.

Judge Donna Woodburne SC told the court that Booth was on parole at the time he committed the offence, having only been released from prison two weeks earlier.

The charges for which he was convicted included two felonies: aggravated burglary with intent to commit a serious criminal offense, stealing from someone, taking and driving means of transportation, and sexually touching another person without consent.

Zoe Foster Blake and husband Hamish Blake in Italy

Judge Woodburne also took into account three charges of taking and driving a car without the consent of the owner, entering a vehicle without the consent of the owner, seven charges of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, stealing of an item valued at less than $2,000, and sexually touching another. person without permission.

She told the court that Booth had a difficult childhood, with his grandparents being part of the Stolen Generation, which had serious consequences for his family.

The court was told the 35-year-old had only been out of prison for a total of one year of his adult life.

“It is clear that Mr. Booth’s life has been marred by significant degradation and trauma,” the judge said.

‘He is both a physically and psychologically unwell man … which his trauma triggers and causes significant psychological distress.’

Judge Woodburne sentenced Booth to a total prison term of four years, with a non-parole period of two years, two months and four days.

The sentence is retroactive to his arrest on December 20, 2021, meaning he will be eligible for parole on Friday.

He will not be released on parole, but his lawyers can apply to the State Parole Authority for his release.