Ashley Francis Butler, Dean Robert Rogers and Andrew Richard Cooke plead guilty to stealing copper from Gladstone’s Boyne Smelter Limited and trading it in for cash

Three Rio Tinto employees who collaborated to steal hundreds of kilograms of copper from their workplace and trade it in for thousands of dollars in cash, have faced court. Here’s what happened to them.

Three Rio Tinto employees who conspired to break into company property, steal hundreds of kilograms of copper and then trade it in for cash, have faced court.

Following a Queensland police investigation over a number of months, the men pleaded guilty in court to their offending and were sentenced in relation to copper theft at Boyne Smelter Limited on Handley Dr, Boyne Island.

Bargara man Andrew Richard Cooke, 38, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on March 4 to two counts of fraud (dishonestly obtaining property from another), and one count of receiving tainted property.

Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL) is one of the largest aluminium smelters in Australia, located approximately 20km south of Gladstone at Boyne Island on the Central Queensland coast. Picture: Supplied.

Glen Eden man Dean Robert Rogers, 37, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on July 12 to the same charges.

Miriam Vale man Ashley Francis Butler, 38, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on July 8 to six counts of fraud (dishonestly obtaining property from another), and three counts of receiving tainted property.

Court documents submitted by police prosecutor Kelvin Boyd revealed that on an unknown date between October 13 and October 27, 2021, the three men collaborated and then used steel cutters to gain access to a skip bin filled with copper which was property of Boyne Smelter Limited (BSL).

The documents stated that after the material was taken off site by unknown means, the group dishonestly obtained cash after trading in the material at a scrap metal recycler located on South Trees Dr, Gladstone, on October 27.

Three men pleaded guilty to their offending. Picture: Gladstone Observer

Mr Boyd told the court that this transaction was for 302kg of copper, valued at more than $3550.

The court then heard that co-accused, Cooke, had performed a similarly fraudulent transaction on an unknown date in early July which involved 292kg of copper valued at $3250.

Mr Boyd said BSL became aware of the more recent incident when it located the damaged skip bin on October 29 and contacted police.

Rogers was spoken to by police while at the Boyne Smelter and following enquiries, a receipt from the scrap metal recycle business was located in his vehicle.

Copper theft has become more prevalent in recent years as the international price for it surged in 2021 and peaked in early 2022. Picture: Generic.

Mr Boyd said Rogers initially gave conflicting accounts of where the copper was obtained from, including telling police that it was from his father’s shed and that a co-worker gave it to him.

Defence solicitor Cassandra Ditchfield told the court that her client, Rogers, made admissions to his partner soon after he was charged that it was a “very stupid” mistake and jeopardised a lot of things in his personal life and employment.

Ms Ditchfield told the court that her client had an otherwise good employment history which included working in mines and industrial work in Gladstone, and due to his personal circumstances he hoped to maintain employment in the region.

In his sentencing remarks, Magistrate John Milburn considered Roger’s level of criminality and noted the earlier sentencing of his co-accused.

A Rio Tinto spokesman confirmed the company was aware of the court proceedings and said the company provided full support to Queensland police investigations. Picture: Contributed

Rogers was fined $2200 but restitution was not required as the cash had already been seized by police.

No criminal conviction was recorded.

Cooke, whom Magistrate Milburn noted was deemed to be the least criminally involved, was fined $750 and no conviction was recorded.

Butler was fined $3000 and ordered to pay $1734.90 in restitution to BSL.

A criminal conviction was recorded.

A Rio Tinto spokesman confirmed the company assisted police with their investigations but could not comment on the current employment status of any of the offenders.

“Rio Tinto notes the court proceedings around the alleged theft of copper from BSL, we thank Queensland Police for their investigation and actions around the incident,” the spokesman said.