AUSTRALIA STOLEN COMPUTERS RECOVERED Large haul of stolen goods recovered : thewest.com.au

Large haul of stolen goods recovered

4th December 2007, 14:15 WST

Police have recovered $80,000 worth of stolen goods, including a stun-gun and a police uniform, after arresting a man in Forrestfield.

The 24-year-old man was stopped by a police patrol in Forrestfield yesterday morning over outstanding arrest warrants, and allegedly pepper-sprayed one officer and wrestled another when they tried to arrest him.

He appeared in Perth Magistrate’s Court today charged with a string of offences.

After the arrest, a search of the man’s home yesterday afternoon uncovered the large haul of allegedly stolen goods.

Sgt Graham Hill said the man had been on a crime spree for less than three months and the haul consisted only of those goods he had been unable to sell as yet.

“He bragged that this is his occupation. He admitted on video that this is what he does and has made a fair living out of it,” Sgt Hill said.

“He said the things people leave in their cars are ‘amazing’. He is alleged to have robbed cars in Fremantle, Cottesloe, Forrestfield, Crawley. He said East Perth was ‘great’.”

The haul included a stun gun, jet-ski, plasma-screen television, nine laptop computers, 10 cameras, car DVD players, GPS navigation systems, a violin and two mobile phones allegedly purchased with a stolen credit card.

An older style country police shirt was also recovered, said to have been stolen from a car in Fremantle. Sgt Hill said there was no evidence the shirt had been used to impersonate a police officer.

The man allegedly stole exclusively from cars. Many of the items remain unclaimed and will be held by police for three months and then auctioned.

Police charged him with a string of offences including assaulting a public officer, obstructing police, possession of a weapon, breach of bail, possession of a prohibited drug, fraud, stealing, damage, 85 warrants of apprehension and breaching parole.

Further charges will be laid and the man has been remanded to reappear in court on December 18.

GIOVANNI TORRE