By Jessica Anstice
In excess of $5000 worth of tools and equipment was stolen from a shed in Avonsleigh overnight on Thursday 23 July, following a string of recent burglaries in the same area.
Caught in action, CCTV footage shows three men sorting through belongings in a private shed on Phillip Road about 12.30am.
It’s understood the three offenders forced entry into the shed by breaking a lock, before stealing a welder, a number of gas bottles, a Hitec radio, a grinder and a bunch of hand tools.
The owner of the shed, Daniel Henderson, uses the property as a work premises, however he said the tenants who live in the house on the property were home at the time.
“The tenants were doing some work in the other shed and they had only just gone inside right before the thieves arrived,” he explained.
“The two offenders that came in first had a look around and grabbed the welder and gas bottles, then they went out to the front of the property where a car was parked and one other person came back with them – I’m assuming the driver.
“Going off the footage, the three people were taking their time because they were in there for at least 15 minutes just picking up bits and pieces. They grabbed as many tools as they could fill their arms up with.”
While most of the stolen items were spare tools, Mr Henderson said that to an extent, it will put him back financially.
“While insurance will cover most, I still need to fork out another $3500 this week to buy a new welder,” he added.
The night before, a music studio on Macclesfield Road in Emerald was also targeted.
Shortly after music producer Mark Stanley locked up his studio in the backyard and headed inside, a group of offenders broke in and stole a keyboard worth around $1000.
“The crime rate out here is going further up,” Mr Henderson said.
“I had another friend in Gembrook who has been done four times recently.
“It is people that are needing drug money. My message to them is to get off the drugs and get a job to pay for your own stuff.”
Police are now investigating both burglaries.
