Cops catch alleged Killarney Co-op thief

DROUGHT desperation forces staff to amp up security procedures.

Gippsland Drought Spread. Farmers are doing it tough being forced to buy hay and hand feed their stock.Simon Barnes feeds his dairy cattle on his Orbost property 380 klms east of Melbourne. Picture : Ian Currie

THE Killarney Co-operative suffered significant financial loss after the alleged theft of stock feed from their store over the festive season.

CCTV camera footage allegedly showed an Emu Vale man loading his vehicle with agricultural products and driving off without paying on three separate occasions.

It was a shocking realisation for the staff of the Co-op, who have grown to trust their loyal customer base.

"It was very disappointing to see that happen," said general manager Marissa Costello.

"We put a lot of effort into sourcing product for people and with feed.

"If we lose even one bale of hay off a truck, everyone is basically working for nothing. It means we make nothing off the sales."

After the second incident, Co-op staff reported the theft to police and a 71-year-old man was charged with three counts of fraud on Saturday, January 4.

According to Killarney Police Senior Constable Nathan Thomson the man was not known to police prior to these incidents.

The hay could not be returned as the man had allegedly used it to feed stock, CST Thomson said.

Mrs Costello said staff are on high-alert as rising feed prices "make people desperate."

"It's forced us to be less trusting, we check every docket now before people pick anything up," she said.

The man will appear in Warwick Magistrates Court on Wednesday, January 29.

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