Tyrone Sharp sentenced for stealing from Gladstone Aurizon workshop

Wearing an Aurizon jacket and cap, an impostor employee tried to escape with wheelie bin loads of gear from a Central Queensland workshop before his cover was blown.

Tyrone Reece Sharp, 31, has been sentenced at Gladstone after he pretended to be an employee during an incident at a Gladstone workshop. Generic image.

When an Aurizon employee found Tyrone Reece Sharp in the company’s Callemondah workshop at Gladstone, he was attempting to leave with two wheelie bins of work gear.

The employee asked Sharp, who was wearing an Aurizon jacket and cap, what he was doing.

Sharp replied: “I work here”.

The employee said, “no you don’t, I work here.”

Sharp said his name was “Tyrone” and the Aurizon worker took a photo of him which was later given to police.

The real employee took the wheelie bins, containing things like tools, electronics and work clothing, off Sharp who left still wearing the Aurizon jacket and cap.

Later the same day, Sharp returned to the workshop and another employee saw him and called police.

Police attended and arrested Sharp.

Sharp told officers that he had consumed a large amount of methamphetamine over the past 24 hours, and he had a “patchy memory.”

In his drug-affected state, Sharp also told them he thought he worked at Aurizon, had been fired, and was taking tools that belonged to him so he could start his own business.

Sharp, 31, accepted that version of events when he appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court this week to charges including entering premises and commit indictable offence, possessing suspected stolen property, and numerous counts of breaching bail and failing to appear in court.

Gladstone Courthouse.

The court heard the offending at Aurizon happened on September 8 last year.

It was also told that on a later date, police found Sharp walking on the side of a road with items in his backpack including bolt cutters, screwdrivers, spanners, dark clothing and two sets of gloves.

Police also found Sharp with a laptop and mobile phone which he said he got from an associate who was known to police as a recidivist property offender, the court heard.

Sharp had a three-page criminal history which included previous for entering premises and commit indictable offence, possessing suspected stolen property, and stealing.

Solicitor Jun Pepito said Sharp, a father of three, was taking drugs at the time of the Aurizon offending.

Mr Pepito said Sharp had recently relocated to Gladstone after a relationship breakdown.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan sentenced Sharp to eight months’ jail, declared 25 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and fixed immediate parole.

Convictions were recorded.