Man takes the heat for this brother's crimes

Brother says police got the wrong guy, it was him who committed six crimes

Vesi Ah-Leong, 21, leaves Ipswich Courthouse with his friend. Picture: Ross Irby

VESI Ah-Leong has told an Ipswich court that six charges of stealing made by police against his brother, are his.

Vesi Jeremy Ah-Leong, 22, from Blackstone, went before Ipswich Magistrates Court charged with contravening a police direction on May 7, and entering a dwelling to commit an offence at Leichhardt on April 19.

His brother Star Ah-Leong, 24, was named on the same court list as being charged with six counts of stealing, two counts of unauthorised dealing with shop goods, and two counts of contravening a police direction.

The stealing charges relate to alleged offences between March 28 and April 18 at Seventeen Mile Rocks, West Ipswich, Redbank Plains, Dinmore, and Richlands. Only a man saying he was Vesi Ah-Leong attended at court.

When the charges against Star and Vesi were briefly mentioned, Vesi said Star "is my brother" and insisted that those charges were actually his. This left magistrate Andy Cridland and police prosecutor Sergeant Jo Colston all feeling a little bit confused.

Defence lawyer Matthew Fairclough tried to be helpful, saying Vesi insists they (Star Ah-Leong's charges) "are all his matters".

"He is (Vesi) saying he will plead to all of them. That all belong to him," said Mr Fairclough.

"I now have a question about Star Ah-Leong," said Sgt Colston - immediately seeing an adjournment of both Vesi and Star Ah-Leong's matters.

"Star is my brother," said Vesi Ah-Leong.

Mr Cridland adjourned all matters to June 14.