Former SAPOL property officer Richard Lloyd Bartholomew stands trial accused of stealing from police lock-up

A former cop, with more the four decades of experience, believed he was reducing waste as he was allegedly amassing a treasure trove of stolen goods.

A disgraced former South Australian police officer who was “committed to his role” despite allegedly pinching 20 items from lock up, will soon learn his fate.

Richard Lloyd Bartholomew, 58, is standing trial at Christies Beach Magistrates Court after he pleaded not guilty to four counts of theft and 16 counts of aggravated dishonestly taking property without consent.

In his closing submissions, Andrew Culshaw, for Mr Bartholomew, said his client was in possession of the items in an attempt to reduce waste.

“Whether or not it was the right thing to do, there is a gap between that and dishonesty,” Mr Culshaw said.

“The misconduct was completely victimless and the only thing it did was to prevent waste.

“19 items were destined to be destroyed before they were taken by Mr Bartholomew. He didn’t think he was depriving anyone of their property.”

Giving evidence on day two of the trial, Mr Bartholomew’s former manager, Inspector Damian Epps, said the ex-SA Police property officer took his job seriously and the pair had worked closely over the course of a decade.

“He was very committed to the role,” Inspector Epps told the court.

“He certainly assisted me in trying to get the property room to a really good shape - he lead that and drove that quite well.”

Former SAPOL officer Richard Bartholomew is seen outside the Christies Beach Court. Picture: David Mariuz

Mr Bartholomew allegedly stole items including various Sony PlayStation models, an iPad, a Canon Camera, Xbox, a HP computer monitor and Bosch, Makita and Milwaukee power tools, each valued at $2500 or less and a number of clothing items from Christie Downs and Edwardstown between 2008 and 2019.

The court heard the detailed process property officers must carry out when defining items that have been placed in police protection.

They must be released to the owner, auction if not collected or approved for destruction.

Mr Bartholomew was in charge of identifying the which property would fit into each category before it was signed off by Inspector Epps, the court heard.

The witness said he approved a number of items including a PlayStation, Xbox, a Toshiba laptop and a Canon camera for release.

It is alleged these items were later found in Mr Bartholomew’s possession when police carried out a search warrant at his Prospect Hill property on September 17, 2019.

Detective James Webber said no record was found showing an attempt to notify the owner the items were for release.

“I don’t think there were to be honest,” Detective Webber said in court.

SAPOL property officer Richard Bartholomew. Picture: Facebook

At Wednesday’s hearing, the court heard evidence from witness Thyson Wedlock, 19, the son of Mr Bartholomews’ partner Samantha Newton,

He said he was told not to boast about his new clothes after he was allowed to sort through items, some with the tags still on.

“There were female clothes, male clothes, a range of sizes,” Mr Wedlock said.

“I was called into my mother’s room.

“We were told a story about how Ricky came to have these clothes.

“Someone had stolen them from a retail store and they had come into police custody.

“I believe that he got them from police custody.”

Mr Wedlock, who claimed to have no association with Mr Bartholomew now, explained to the court how he and his siblings were told to not mention to anyone how they had come about the clothing items while residing at their Prospect Hill home.

“(We were told) to keep quiet at school and around friends to not brag that I had got them from Richard or a police officer and that they were from an evidence room because it could get Richard in trouble,” Mr Wedlock said.

The case will return for judgment in April.