Firearms and quad bike allegedly stolen in linked Central Qld property crimes

Locals north of Rockhampton are terrified after police investigate several crimes they believe are linked, including the theft of three firearms and a quad bike.

Farmers in the rural community of Milman and Yaamba have opened up about their fears about a crime epidemic on the outskirts of the Rockhampton region.

Police are investigating a break and enter at a property at Milman on November 15, where three firearms where allegedly stolen with the thief stealing a quad bike as their getaway vehicle.

Offenders broke in again two days later, breaking fences and gates overnight on November 17.

Initial police investigations indicate the man entered the property on the Bruce Highway at Milman about 1pm and stole three firearms, ammunition and a Yamaha quad bike.

The offender then fled a short time later.

The CCTV, supplied by police, shows the man walking around a shed on the property.

The man appears to be Caucasian, wearing a long sleeve shirt, jeans and a black cap.

Police have released footage of a man they want to speak to in relation to an alleged break and enter at a property in Milman on November 15. Picture: QPS

The stolen firearms were a BRNO Fox rifle, a Marlin rifle and a Savage rimfire rifle.

A LandCruiser ute was also stolen from a neighbouring property on Thursday morning.

The ute’s owner Roy Sparrow had been working out at the mines and had just arrived home when his car was stolen from the property.

His wife Alana Sparrow said she was alerted by neighbours on Wednesday, November 15, afternoon about the guns being stolen.

She had just returned home from getting lick blocks for cattle when she saw barefoot prints in her shed.

Mrs Sparrow stayed in Rockhampton with her daughter overnight until her husband Roy returned from work.

“He came home about 10 past six this morning (Thursday, November 16) and everything was here, he went to the neighbours on a motorbike and came back and everything was still here,” she said.

Alana Sparrow at a property in Milman.

“He fueled up from the diesel drum about 7.30am and I got home about 8.30am and the gate was open and the LandCruiser was gone.

“He (the offender) slept in the truck ... it’s very scary ... having a lock on the gate doesn’t mean anything now.”

Mrs Sparrow said in the more than 20 years they had lived on their property, they had never had their home broken into.

“We need that ... because we use it to feed our cattle, it being a four-wheel-drive (and) it wasn’t insured because we hardly ever take it on the highway,” she said.

Living on the neighbouring property from where the guns were stolen, Milman farmer Ben Robinson said the thought the firearms were out somewhere in the community was “scary”.

Police on scene at a property in Milman.

Mr Robinson has lived at his property north of Rockhampton for the past nine years and has not experienced much crime in the area.

He said when the offenders broke onto the neighbouring property, they went across his property, leaving gates open and allowing cattle to get out.

Mr Robinson said he and neighbouring properties were becoming more wary of crime in the region.

“It’s really scary, when it comes to guns and guns that are loaded, you just never know when you’re going to get a gun pulled on yourself or where those guns are going to end up,” he said.

“We’ve had no issues with crime at all (in the past).

“We left all our lights on last night, we’ve spoken to all our neighbours … our son is only young and he’s worried, he slept in the bed with me last night, that’s the sort of thing people don’t realise … it just feels like you’re unsafe.

Ben Robinson at a property in Milman.

“I’m just surprised the guns were left in a container, with bullets and stuff there.”

Mr Robinson said he and his neighbours were investing in security cameras on their properties as measures to deter crime.

“I think a lot more people now are getting cameras, even other family members are spending the money and getting cameras because everyone is feeling unsafe and crime is getting worse,” he said.

“It’s hard for farmers because a lot of our valuable stuff can’t be put inside … it’s all bigger machinery so they’re in sheds and you have to take keys out of machinery, it’s more time you can’t get work done.

“A lot of our machinery isn’t insured because it’s not viable to insure it.”

Detective Acting Inspector Luke Peachey said property owners had CCTV and were alerted to the offender straight away.

“Unfortunately by the time we got there this person has jumped on a quad bike and had taken off through the pretty tough terrain so we weren’t able to pursue through there.

Detective Acting Inspector Peachey said given the close proximity both offences, it was more than likely both were linked.

Capricornia Detective Acting Inspector Luke Peachey. Picture: Aden Stokes

“At this stage there is no evidence to say there is more than one person,” he said.

He said the firearms and quad bike were in a storage shed on the property and that the security of the firearms was under investigation.

“We ask people to be a little bit aware,” he said.

“We have these types of people getting around now and we know some people in these rural places are a little bit more lax in their security due to the location, so we ask to make sure their keys are still locked away, firearms are locked away because we don’t want to see these sorts of things in the arms of people like this.

“Whoever this person is has taken those firearms unlawfully and we are very concerned.

“We ask for anyone who has any information in regards to the identity to contact either Crime Stoppers or Rockhampton police.”

Investigations into the break and enter are ongoing.

Anyone with information that can assist the investigation is urged to contact police.