Neville James Wanstall pleads guilty at Gympie, Qld to copper wire theft

A Queensland man who took the motto of ‘if at first you don’t succeed try again’ to heart in swiping thousands of dollars of copper wire has pointed to harassment following a podcast during his defence of the year-long crime spree.

Neville James Wanstall, 38 from Gympie, will stay in jail until Christmas after a year-long crime spree including the “brazen” theft of more than $8000 of copper wire from an electrical shop.

A Gympie man will stay in jail until Christmas after a year-long crime spree including the “brazen” theft of more than $8000 of copper wire from an electrical shop.

Neville James Wanstall’s string of 25 offences started on January 17, 2023 when he stole insulated wire from an unnamed business, using a vehicle.

His offending then expanded to encompass charges of wilful damage, possessing dangerous drugs, driving without a licence as a repeat offender, breaching bail, possessing drug utensils, stealing and trespassing.

On one occasion the 38-year-old broke into the Victory Heights Hotel through the back window.

He stole about $100 from the bar and poker machine area.

The court was told he was identified by his fingerprints and caught on CCTV.

Police prosecutor Allison Johnstone told the court Neville James Wanstall’s worst offence was his theft of the copper wire from Haymans Electrical.

Police prosecutor Allison Johnstone told the court Wanstall’s worst offence was his theft of the copper wire from Haymans Electrical.

Sgt Johnstone said the 38-year-old first tried to steal the wire from the Gympie business on February 29, 2024.

He was interrupted during the theft and fled, leaving the wire cutters “embedded” in the metal.

Wanstall then returned two weeks later on March 9, this time successfully making off with the copper in a theft Sgt Johnstone called “absolutely brazen”.

“He didn’t quite succeed the first time, so he just returns again,” Sgt Johnstone said.
Defence lawyer Kristie Koo said Wanstall, a father of two, had been harassed after the airing of a podcast series exploring the circumstances around the death of Gympie woman Sarah Brown in June, 2021.

Wanstall, a housemate of Ms Brown, was the one who found her body in bush “and he became very disturbed by it,” Ms Koo said.

The death was ruled a suicide.

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The court heard Wanstall was interrupted the first time he tried to steal copper wire from Haymans Electrical and Gympie, but returned a few weeks later to swipe more than $8000-worth of the metal.

She said people had since started “accusing him of having something to do with her death even though there were no charges or allegations proven”.
“Someone has made a podcast about it,” Ms Koo said.

“It’s caused him and his mother to endure quite a lot of harassment in the community.”
It is not alleged Wanstall had any involvement with Ms Brown’s death.

Magistrate Bevan Hughes told Wanstall his history of offending, which was primarily drug-related, had now crept into property offences.

He ordered Wanstall pay Haymans Electrical $8544.69 in restitution and sentenced him to 12 months’ jail.

The sentence was wholly suspended for two years, and Wanstall will be released on parole on December 9, 2024.