Senior Constable Zac Aaron Chudleigh appears in court on charges of fraud, stealing

A Queensland Detective who allegedly stole a number of expensive watches from a man accused of attempting to import 45kg of cocaine into the country has appeared in court for the first time.

Senior Constable Zac Chudleigh was assigned to Task-force Maxima.

A cop on the bikie-busting Task-force Maxima who allegedly stole luxury watches from an accused attempted drug importer has appeared in court for the first time.

Detective Senior Constable Zac Aaron Chudleigh was charged last month with fraud and stealing after police were unable to return three designer watches to a man accused of attempting to bring cocaine into the country.

The Queensland Police Service recently admitted it was not able to return two Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches and a Hublot watch to Jordan Roman Brennan, who has launched a civil suit against the state.

Chudleigh was named in the lawsuit after he allegedly seized the three watches from Brennan during an investigation into the alleged assault of a woman at the Wildlands music festival.

Task-force Maxima Detective Zac Chudleigh appeared in court in Brisbane on Thursday. . Picture: John Gass

“Following an internal investigation, a 30-year-old male senior constable from the Crime and

Intelligence Command has been today charged with alleged stealing and fraud offences,” a police spokesman said about Chudleigh in May.

“The officer has been stood down from duty with the Queensland Police Service.”

Chudleigh appeared briefly in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with fraud – dishonestly obtaining property from another valued $30,000 to $100,000 and stealing by a person employed in the public service.

According to court documents police allege Chudleigh stole the three luxury watches between March 30 and September 22 last year.

Police further allege Chudleigh dishonestly obtained $92,000 from Brisbane Estate Jewellery which constituted the fraud charge.

The watches were seized during a raid on Brennan’s Gold Coast home in August 2020, months after he was alleged to have attacked a woman when she accidentally stepped on his girlfriend’s foot.

The charges have since been withdrawn by prosecutors, although Brennan is still facing charges relating to the alleged attempted importation of a large amount of cocaine into Australia.

He has been committed to stand trial over the cocaine investigation, which police have alleged involved more than 45kg of the drug.

Brennan launched a lawsuit against the state in March seeking return of the watches or damages of $410,000.

The QPS has filed a notice of intention to defend the civil suit in the Brisbane District Court.

Chudleigh, who appeared in court without a lawyer, had his charges adjourned to July 10.

His bail was enlarged.

He declined to comment on the matters outside court.