Alstonville: Ashley Richard Brander busted after victim tracks stolen goods through app

An inept Northern Rivers thief who broke into a church has been foiled by the most basic of phone apps. Here’s what happened in court.

A North Coast thief was undone after a wily victim used a Fine My Phone app to locate his stolen goods.

An inept wannabe Northern Rivers thief was busted after a simplistic find my device app led police to the stolen goods he had hiding at his residence.

Alstonville man Ashley Richard Brander, 34, faced Magistrate Karen Stafford in Ballina Local Court on Friday.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of breaking into a building to commit a serious indictable offence in December.

The court heard sometime between November 9 and 10 last year Brander crept through the front window of the Alstonville Anglican Church Ministry Centre and stole the parish rector’s Apple MacBook Pro, laptop stand and keyboard.

But the wily preacher helped find the culprit – and his stolen gear – thanks to a basic find my device app.

A North Coast thief was undone with a Find My Phone app that located the stolen goods, a court heard.

Police then matched DNA evidence to Brander, facts state.

Undeterred, Brander then used a large rock to smash a window of the Tenterfield Railway Museum in March, the court heard.

Brander then stole $96.50 in cash and a NAB debit card stored in a safe.

He also lifted a CCTV hard drive, belonging to the volunteers of the Tenterfield Railway Station Preservation Society.

“The museum is a heritage listed building and a draw card for persons visiting the town,” police said in a statement.

Brander came undone when volunteers noticed and reported two suspicious transactions of up to $184 at an ATM.

Police again matched DNA back to Brander.

Tenterfield Railway Museum.

The court heard it cost the volunteers of the Tenterfield Railway Station Preservation Society $1500 to replace the CCTV hard drive.

The Crown told the court despite Brander’s limited NSW criminal record, he had a “more prominent” criminal history in Queensland.

Ms Stafford convicted Brander of two counts of break and enter house to steal value under $60,000.

He was also convicted of drive unregistered vehicle and use uninsured motor vehicle on road.

Brander was placed on a three year community correction order where he must complete any assigned program and complete a drug rehabilitation program.

He was fined $1600 and ordered to pay compensation of $1500 to the Tenterfield Railway Station Preservation Society.

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