Fumbling thief leaves behind clues at crime scene

A FUMBLING thief who broke into a Maryborough jewellery store may have left behind the clues that will lead to his arrest.

Geoff Myatt from Myatt Jewellers in Maryborough in front of the display case that was smashed during a break-in. Picture: Alistair Brightman

A FUMBLING thief who broke into a Maryborough jewellery store may have left behind the clues that will lead to his arrest.

Myatt Jewellers fell victim to a break-in on Wednesday night.

Up to $10,000 worth of damage was done and a tray of bracelets stolen.

But owner Geoff Myatt said the store's CCTV cameras had been rolling, capturing images of the robber as he smashed his way through the glass door with a hammer.

Images of his getaway car were also caught on film.

"We even saw him in footage 10 minutes prior putting his face against the front door," he said.

"He drove off and came back down Adelaide St, used a hammer to break through the front door and crawled through."

The thief was startled when the store's alarm went off and quickly left the scene, taking with him just one tray of bracelets, stolen from a cabinet he smashed open.

"It could have been worse," Mr Myatt said.

He said the man was wearing a black hoodie and had been caught on other CCTV cameras as he walked around the CBD.

Mr Myatt and his wife Rebecca got a phone call about the break-in about 11pm on Wednesday night.

It was far from the first time the couple had been woken by the store's alarm going off.

"Occasionally we get a gecko or a poster falls and sets it off," he said.

But this time it was the real deal.

Mr Myatt was full of praise for the police officers who assisted him.

The officers waited at the business until repairs were made to the door and the business was fully secure again, with the couple remaining at the store until 2am.

Yesterday they were tired but determined not to let the thief stop them from doing business.

The couple cleaned up the smashed glass and opened their doors just half-an-hour later than their usual time.

Mr Myatt said while insurance would cover expenses, the incident was frustrating as a business owner.

"It's just the inconvenience of it all," he said.

Mr Myatt said the community had rallied around him and his wife in the aftermath of the burglary.

The couple shared the bad news on Facebook and they were soon inundated with messages of support.