Steptoe and Son Yard Busted

A Steptoe and Son yard in Mariginiup is the latest premises to receive an unwelcome visit from Police.

With the Banksia Grove State continuing to be a high crime area Pact Site Security investigators deployed several GPS tracking devices in the area over the Xmas Break.

At 0155hrs Monday morning on 6/1/2020 investigators were alerted to an activation from an Impressions Homes site located in Grandis Boulevard. After the theft the offender has driven to a yard in a semi rural area on Caporn Street, Mariginiup. The premises was a little like a Steptoe and Son yard with unlicenced vehicles, boats, scrap metal and sea containers scattered throughout the area.

PACT Investigators liaised with Joondalup Detectives who attended the premises and executed a search warrant. On searching the yard a large amount of drugs were located along with a locked sea container. Police used an angle grinder to gain entry into the container and a subsequent search located 5 stolen hot water units, including the unit from Banksia Grove.

Persons present at the yard were quick to point the finger at a male person who was not present but uses the yard as a storage area. Information obtained suggests the offender is a licenced plumber and this appears correct as the hot water system was removed with pipe cutting tools.

Pipe cutting tools used to remove hot water unit from its installed location

PACT investigators completed checks on all recovered hot water units and the offender appears to have been an active thief for some time. Hot water system had been stolen from a Celebrations Homes site in Landsdale in early April 2019, a second from a Webb Brownes Neaves site in Landsdale in early July 2019, a third more recently in early December from a Plunkett Homes in Ballajura, with an older model unit yet to have ownership confirmed.

Police inquiries are continuing to locate the identified offender.

PACT Site Security GPS tracking strategy has recovered 12 stolen hot water systems in the past two months, five of these units from BGC sites, three from Home Group and the remainder from non-members of PACT Site Security, it is without a doubt these recoveries and subsequent arrests will benefit the entire residential construction sector in reducing ongoing theft from building sites.

Footnote November 2020: Offender fined $5000 with an order for the return of the property. PACT has submitted a request to revoke the offender plumbing licences to Plumber Licencing Board, more information HERE

If you wish to discuss how PACT Site Security and GPS tracking can assist your business call 1800 272 836 or go to contact us page.