Paul Christopher Herrod caught up in cattle theft crime

A Central Queensland campdrafter lost his job and is out of pocket $4000 after he stole steers found wandering on his boss’ property and removed their national livestock identifying tags from their ears.

Paul Christopher Herrod, 40, had been working for Michael Mactaggart on his Newhaven property near Banana as an assistant livestock manager when he stole two of four Brahman steers that belonged to Tom Wagner and had wandered onto Mr Mactaggart's property.

A Central Queensland campdrafter lost his job and is out of pocket $4000 after he stole two steers found wandering on his boss’s property and removed their national livestock identifying tags from their ears.

Paul Christopher Herrod, 40, had been working for Michael McTaggart on his New Haven property near Banana as an assistant livestock manager when four Brahman X steers were found wandering on the property.

The Mactaggart family have been breeding Charbray cattle since 1979 and run 2400 breeders across several properties in the Moura and Duaringa districts, including a purebred herd of 1100 Charbray cows.

Rockhampton Magistrates Court heard this week that Herrod had been present when the wandering steers were mustered and placed in a holding yard.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said Mr McTaggart had tracked the owner down – his neighbour Tom Wagner – and called him on July 11, 2022, to report where the steers were being kept.

However, Senior Constable Rowe said when Mr Wagner attended to pick up the steers on July 12, Herrod told him there were only two steers there for collection.

She said Mr McTaggart became aware of the conversation between Herrod and Mr Wagner and approached Herrod on July 27.

Senior Constable Rowe said Mr McTaggart observed Herrod, at 11am, driving his cattle truck towards the loading ramp and Mr McTaggart discovered there were two Brahman X steers on-board.

“He identified the cattle as the victim’s missing beasts through the victim’s brand,” she said.

“He further noticed the beasts had their National Livestock Identification System removed from their ears.”

Senior Constable Rowe said Mr McTaggart told Herrod to unload the beasts into the yard and leave the property.

She said when police attended Herrod’s Goovigen property, he told them he had stolen the two beasts but returned them after being “consumed by guilt”.

Defence lawyer Terry Tunnon said his client was aware his boss did not own the steers when he saw them mustered into the holding yard.

He said the father-of-four owned a small property at Goovigen and worked in the rural sector to support his family.

Mr Tunnon said his client described his actions as “a brain snap” as he was under a lot of pressure at the time and this was out of character for the defendant who had no criminal history.

Magistrate Grace Kahlert said reference material provided to the court stated Herrod had lost his job and had not been dealing with his mental health appropriately.

Herrod had pleaded guilty to one count of stealing and was ordered he pay $4000 in fines.

A conviction was not recorded.