Joshua Kenzo Owens: Miners’ cunning hidey hole plan revealed after alleged jewellery heist fail

A 32-year-old mine worker was found hiding in a hole in the ground inside a wheelie bin by cops after allegedly robbing a jewellery store at Browns Plains Grand Plaza yesterday.

A 32-year-old mine worker was found hiding in a hole in the ground inside a wheelie bin by cops after allegedly robbing a jewellery store at Browns Plains Grand Plaza yesterday.

Joshua Kenzo Owens appeared in custody at Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday facing a charge of robbery with actual violence armed/in company/wounded/used personal violence.

The court heard Owens allegedly armed himself with a crowbar and stole a number of pieces of jewellery at Wallace Bishop at Browns Plains Grand Plaza at about 9.30am on Monday.

Magistrate Louise Shephard said the alleged robbery was “audacious” and “premeditated” due to a significant amount of planning that Owens allegedly had made admissions to doing beforehand.

Browns Plains man Joshua Kenzo Owens, 32, allegedly robbed Wallace Bishop at Browns Plains Plaza on Monday.

“You’d been thinking about it for a period of time,” she said.

“You created a place to hide, you dug a big hole in the ground put a wheelie bin in there and that’s where you ran to and hid.

“Hid so well in fact that the police dog was unable to locate you and that caused and an amount of confusion but handler came back and did find you.

“You had erected traps to try and slow down any potential chase, stringing up fishing line and duct tape and various things like that.

“You scoped out the shop, Wallace Bishop, you decided which cabinet you wanted to target.

“You went and bought yourself items to hide your identity … a wig a hat, you wore a mask, sunglasses and gloves.”

Magistrate Shephard told the court Owens had also allegedly armed himself with a replica toy gun that he brought in case he needed to fend people off during his escape.

Owens’ lawyer told the court he had been under financial stress after the restaurant his mother and partner operated shut down during Covid-19.

She said he was currently employed as a fly in fly out worker in Mackay in the mines as a machinery operator.

“It was extremely out of character for him,” she said.

Magistrate Shephard denied his application for bail and ordered he be remanded in custody for further mention of his matters on March 16.