Ashley Richard Brander pleads guilty to stealing from church and Tenterfield Railway Station Preservation Society volunteers
A burglar has admitted breaking into a church building and stole from a rector before stealing from a volunteer-run tourist attraction society on the North Coast.
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An Alstonville bandit broke into a church building and stole from a rector before targeting a volunteer-run tourist attraction society on the North Coast.
Ashley Richard Brander faced Ballina Local Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to two counts of breaking into a building to commit a serious indictable offence.
Disputed police facts tendered to court state the 34 year old broke into the Alstonville Anglicans church Ministry Centre between November 9 and November 10 last year.
Brander stole the parish rector’s Apple MacBook Pro, laptop stand and keyboard after sneaking through the building’s front window, police state.
The next day the rector used the tracking app Find My Phone and police found the laptop near Brander’s address.
Police matched DNA to the offender, documents continue.
A few months later police allege Brander used a large rock to smash the window of the tourist attraction Tenterfield Railway Museum before breaking in between March 2 and March 3.
“The museum is a heritage listed building and a draw card for persons visiting the town,” police state.
Brander allegedly stole $96.50 cash and a NAB debit card stored in a safe, alongside a CCTV hard drive, belonging to the volunteers of the Tenterfield Railway Station Preservation Society.
When a volunteer reported two suspicious transactions of up to $184 at an ATM, police were able to again match DNA back to Brander.
It cost the volunteers $1500 to replace the CCTV hard drive.
Police state Brander has a limited NSW criminal record, with a more prominent criminal history in QLD.
The case has been adjourned to January 31 for sentence.
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