55-year-old man sentenced for stealing water meters around Tweed Heads

The 55-year-old man said his business suffered dramatically during COVID-19, which put him in a downward spiral and ended with him stealing council property and taking drugs.

A man has received a prison sentence after stealing eight water meters around Tweed. - pic AAP

A Gold Coast man charged over the theft of eight water meters in Tweed Heads said his time in prison on remand had been a “wake up call.”

Jonathan Joseph O'Grady, 55, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court on Wednesday to eight counts of larceny, disqualified driving and possessing prohibited drugs.

According to court documents on March 28 O’Grady had driven to Corporation Circuit, Tweed Heads South wearing jeans, a fluro yellow work shirt, a fluro vest and a blue bucket hat.

O’Grady walked with a distinctive gait to a water meter holding a battery operated blue reciprocating saw in his hands.

He turned off the main water valve and cut the copper pipes removing the water meters.

The move left National Storage with no water.

O’Grady did the same thing at 23, 29-31, Corporation Circuit and 15 and 26 Machinery Drive, leaving a number of businesses and residents without water, including a fire station.

On March 29 at 3.40pm police saw O’Grady in the same outfit at Banora Central shopping centre.

Police approached him and said they were investigating a number of stolen water metres.

He denied any knowledge and said he was from Labrador and said the vehicle he had was his friend’s.

Police opened the car and saw a 50mm double check valve with copper pipes and a water meter with copper pipes attached.

The man said he was a licenced plumber before he made full admissions.

He told police “I have been doing it really tough during COVID and have no money”.

Police searched him and found a clip seal bag with a small amount of meth which he said was for personal use.

When questioned about the water meters he said, “I’ll throw my hands up, I took them yesterday and cashed them in at action metal recyclers Burleigh Heads and got $50 for them.”

He said he’d removed two back flow prevention valves from the unit at Enterprise Avenue which were returned to the council.

Checks also showed he was disqualified from driving.

Council have asked for between $6000 and $10,000 compensation.

Defence lawyer John Mulherin said his client had suffered severe childhood trauma which he was masking with illicit substances.

Mr Mulherin said matters became worse for his client when he was arrested and charged by a drug squad where evidence was fabricated and he had to give evidence in a Royal Commission.

He said after he received a civil payout he was about to gain a plumbing trade and turn his life around.

But things spiralled out of control again in 2018 when his relationship deteriorated and he began using drugs once more.

Mr Mulherin said O’Grady had moved to Labrador and tried to run his business while struggling with addiction, before losing lots of work during COVID, which was why he decided to remove the council meters.

“He accepts he took them and sold them for scrap metal and was selfish and morally wrong,” Mr Mulherin said.

He said the six weeks spent on remand was a “wake up call” which had forced him to rehabilitate.

Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy said due to his childhood trauma and falling victim to police corruption his time in custody would have been a greater punishment compared to others.

“You’re probably not as bad a person as these facts might make you seem,” Mr Dunlevy said.

O’Grady was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and is eligible for parole on June 28.

His licence was also disqualified for six months.