North Brisbane’s most bizarre crime stories of 2020
This year’s bizarre crime roundup runs the full gamut from threats of harpooned cats, to blackmailing sugar babies, and sex toy revenge acts.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Dozens of crimes are perpetrated every day across Brisbane’s north and while most are fairly run-of-the-mill, the region’s courts see more than their fair share of head-scratchers. This year’s bizarre crime roundup runs the full gamut from harpooned cats, to blackmailing sugar babies, and sex toy revenge acts. Read on to find out more.
10 MCMUFFINS, TWO PUNCH UPS AND ONE STOLEN CARD DURING FIFO WORKER’S WILD NIGHT OUT
A wild night at McDonald’s ended with a fraudulent order of 10 bacon and egg McMuffins, two customers punched in the face and 140 hours of community service for a Brisbane FIFO worker.
Wiremu Hone Waretini was 26-years-old when he visited Airlie Beach and stumbled across a credit card left behind at a Night Owl in the early hours of March 11, 2018, the Sandgate Magistrates Court heard in September.
In a drunken haze, he took the card and used it four times in just 10 minutes at the convenience store, racking up $238 in purchases.
From there, he wandered over to the Shute Harbour McDonalds to order a whopping 10 bacon and egg McMuffins, paid for with the stolen card.
Police prosecutor sergeant Troy Newman told the court that CCTV footage showed Waretini lingering in the outside area of the McDonalds, “puffing his chest out”, “speaking to several members of the public” and brandishing his fists at passers-by, many of whom crossed the street to avoid him.
When Waretini noticed one of the fellow customers laughing at him, he approached his table and punched him twice on the side of the face.
Waretini, a father of three children, pleaded guilty to all 11 charges, spanning from that incident in 2018 to the most recent matter in February 2020, which included charges of public nuisance, two counts of common assault, two counts of fraud and stealing.
Magistrate Jennifer Batts convicted and sentenced Waretini to 140 hours of community service to be completed in one year, and fined him $2000.
SEX TOYS TARGETED BY JEALOUS BOYFRIEND
Sex toys were the unlikely casualty of a heated argument between a north Brisbane man and his girlfriend, the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court heard in November.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order by using a knife to create carnal carnage in his girlfriend’s bedside table.
The court heard the man sliced into the woman’s sex toys when her phone died, believing she was ignoring his calls and messages.
The man was fined $500 and no conviction was recorded.
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF JEWELLERY CLEANED UP BY MAID SERVICE
Amateur sleuths from Brisbane’s north uncovered who had stolen their $3100 opal ring, months after it went missing from their home.
The Sandgate Magistrates Court heard the timing of the missing jewellery coincided with the hiring of a fortnightly cleaner.
Strelow notified police and the cleaning company, who the court heard questioned their employees but failed to determine what had happened.
Months passed but the victim continued to search for the item on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, eventually seeing it listed by a 38-year-old former employee of Two Wog Girls Cleaning Company, Miranda Faye Hamilton.
She was convicted and fined $450. She was ordered to pay the victim $300 in restitution.
TWO WOMEN GET INTO FIGHT IN COLES MEAT AISLE AFTER ONE COUGHED AT THE OTHER
A trolley fight in a Coles meat aisle left a woman bruised after she coughed on another woman.
Amanda Gail Lee pleaded guilty at Pine Rivers Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm.
In August 2018 Lee was shopping in North Lakes Coles.
The court heard she and 28-year-old woman were near each other in the meat aisle and the 28-year-old coughed towards Lee.
The two got into an argument and began pushing their trolleys at each other.
The court heard the 28-year-old called Lee a “stupid b****” and Lee rammed her trolley into the other ladies leg causing bruising.
She was placed on a $300 good behaviour bond for six months. No conviction was recorded.
BLACKMAILER SET UP HONEY TRAP TO EXTORT $5K FROM SUGAR DADDY
A sugar baby set up a honey trap to extort a Brisbane father out of $5000 by threatening to tell his family about their raunchy rendezvous, a court has been told.
Melissa Aras met the 55-year-old father on Seeking Arrangement, the world’s largest Sugar Daddy dating site, and he “paid for her company” before they went their separate ways.
After their encounter, Aras set up a fake Facebook account under the name Johnny Cox and demanded the Kallangur father transfer $5000 to her bank account or she would tell his family and friends that he had slept with a 17-year-old.
Aras, 22, pleaded guilty to extortion and was sentenced to 18 months’ jail, wholly suspended for two years.
Outside court, Aras attempted to make a citizen’s arrest on a Courier Mail photographer after he had taken her photo.
A WARNER MAN THREATENED TO SHOOT A FAMILY AND THEIR PET CAT WITH A HARPOON AFTER STEALING A $200 CHAIR
The theft of a $200 chair landed a Warner resident in jail after he threatened to kill police and shoot his victim’s cat with a harpoon.
Declan John McClenaghan, 20, pleaded guilty at Pine Rivers Magistrates’ Court in June to six charges including stealing, going armed, obstructing police, drug possession and possession of a drug utensil.
Police were called after the victim recognised McClenaghan in CCTV footage of the theft.
Police forced entry into the house by kicking in the front door and McClenaghan “violently resisted arrest”.
Prosecutor Sergeant Kim Harwood said it took five police officers to subdue and handcuff him.
“He made continual threats to police in relation to returning to the victim’s address with a harpoon gun and shooting the victim’s cat and the victim’s parents stating the victim’s face will be covered in blood.”
Magistrate Trevor Morgan ordered McClenaghan to six months imprisonment, including the 44 days already served, suspended for 12 months.
Watch: Runaway dog’s near-miss with oncoming train
CCTV has captured the heart-stopping moment a small dog came within metres of an oncoming train, triggering a swift rescue operation to avert a potential tragedy.
Aus Day hero slams RSPCA $25m animal hospital
A Queensland Australia Day Local Hero nominee has slammed a $25 million RSPCA wildlife hospital as a waste of money and is calling for resources to be redirected elsewhere. | POLL