Alleged Gympie jewellery thief arrested and extradited from NSW

Gympie detectives have extradited a man from New South Wales who is charged with stealing more than $40 000 worth of jewellery and wounding a storekeeper.

NSW police arrested accused Gympie jewellery thief who has been extradited to Queensland. Coast Advocate. Picture: Trevor Veale

GYMPIE detectives have extradited a man from New South Wales who is charged with stealing more than $40,000 worth of rings from a Mary St jeweller and wounding a shopkeeper in Gympie last year.

Troy Anthony Fitzpatrick, 44, was arrested in a Bomaderry motel room on Friday night, north of Nowra, and taken into custody before being extradited by detectives from the Gympie Criminal Investigation Branch yesterday who accompanied him to Brisbane.

Mr Fitzpatrick was wanted on several Queensland warrants including for failing to appear in Maroochydore District Court earlier this month over the alleged Gympie jewellery heist in August last year that left a shopkeeper wounded.

When he appeared in Gympie Magistrates Court the day after the August 20 incident, sergeant Lisa Manns told the court that Mr Fitzpatrick had allegedly fled from Goodyear Jewellers in Mary St after grabbing a tray of 26 rings valued at $41 959.

Sgt Manns said he was pursued by shopkeeper David Hetherington, and delayed by a courier driver, and struggled violently as Mr Hetherington joined in efforts to restrain him.

The court was told Mr Fitzpatrick allegedly bit Mr Hetherington on the arm, causing a wound requiring treatment and disease tests.

The accused was refused bail in Gympie Magistrates Court in August last year but was granted bail in December in Maroochydore, where it was heard he had a nine-page Tasmanian criminal history including blackmail, but no criminal history in Queensland.

Nowra detective senior constable Darren Rymer said the man was not wanted for any New South Wales offences and there had been no dramas during his arrest or remand over the weekend.

“There was no impression that he was on the run, but he did only check in an hour before we found him at 9pm,” Det Snr Cnst Rymer said.

“He was in the company of a female from a Western Sydney address.”

Gympie detectives successfully extradited Mr Fitzpatrick yesterday who will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today charged with robbery.