Strangest crimes to have occurred on the North Coast
Wacky, wild and downright dumb – Northern Rivers resident have seen and committed their share of bizarre crimes. These stories have raised more than a few eyebrows.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From a dental assistant who imitated a sex act on a breath testing device to a man who posed with his stolen vehicles on Facebook, the Northern Rivers have seen plenty of wacky, wild and downright dumb crimes.
These stories have raised more than a few eyebrows.
Convictions
Stirling Eggmolesse
A serial car thief who stole luxury cars and handbags from a Northern Rivers home claimed he did so because he couldn’t feed his drug addiction on Centrelink payments.
North Brisbane resident Stirling Daniel James Eggmolesse, 22, faced sentencing in Lismore District Court in September for aggravated break and enter with intent to commit a serious indictable offence.
Eggmolesse and four co-accused stole about $333,000 worth of items from the home including a Porsche, BMW, Volkswagen Polo, a Gucci handbag, Michael Kors bag, headphones and a variety of clothing on June 19, 2019.
The court heard Eggmolesse posted the stolen cars as a public cover photo on Facebook wearing the same clothing seen in the CCTV footage and left all vehicle registrations identifiable.
Eggmolesse was sentenced to three years in jail, backdated to July 8, 2020, with 18 months non-parole.
Rebecca Jean Hills
A dental assistant imitated a sex act on a breath testing device then damaged police property with her nipple piercing jewellery after she was taken to the watch-house.
Rebecca Jean Hills, 26, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in August to driving recklessly or furiously or speeding in a dangerous manner, refusing or failing to submit to a breath test, high range drink driving, destroying or damaging property and resisting or hindering police.
She was given seven attempts to perform a road side breath test, on May 29, but refused to blow into the device.
On the final attempt she simulated performing fellatio on the device.
Hills was convicted and sentenced to a two year community corrections order with 100 hours community service, fined $300 and disqualified for the minimum interlock and disqualification periods.
Michael Todd Berghofer
A Hastings Point man chased a surfer with an axe in public yelling, “I’ll kill you”, after the victim hit on his mother.
Michael Todd Berghofer, 33, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in August to two counts of destroying or damaging property, going armed with intent to commit an indictable offence and common assault.
According to court documents, Berghofer struck the tail light of the victim’s car with an axe at Norries Headland on August 14, 2020.
The victim was cleaning up a barbecue when Berghofer yelled, “Trying to hit on my mum, come to my unit block arguing with (mutual friend), I’ll kill you,” while advancing towards the victim.
Berghofer was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order and a 12-month intensive corrections order.
Edwina Primrose Browning-Wager
A stripper was caught high range drink driving twice in one night, 80km apart, according to court papers.
Edwina Primrose Browning-Wager, 37, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in July to two counts of high range drink driving and driving when visiting privileges were withdrawn.
Browning-Wager was stopped at Chinderah on May 1 where she returned a reading of 0.167.
After she was released, she was stopped again, 80km away in Ballina where she returned a reading of 0.158.
Browning-Wager was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community corrections order with 100 hours community service, fined $950 and disqualified for the minimum period.
Bodine Jack Dealey Muntz
A Banora Point man led police on a car chase when they approached him while he was using the services of a sex worker.
According to court documents, Bodine Jack Dealey Muntz, 28, came to police attention on March 3 at 11.50pm when a member of the public stated she could hear whistling and see a car driving around suspiciously on Marinas Crescent and Old Ferry Road in Banora Point.
Police found the Toyota Hilux on Commodore Court and began to follow when Muntz accelerated up Old Ferry Road and onto Terranora Road.
Police activated warning devices signalling for Muntz to pull over, but he failed to comply.
Later when questioned about why he was down by the river he said he was with a female sex worker and she had been in the car during the pursuit and encouraged him not to pull over.
Muntz pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in May to engaging in a police pursuit.
He was convicted and sentenced to a two year community correction order and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.
Jonathan Joseph O’Grady
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 in May to eight counts of larceny, disqualified driving and possessing prohibited drugs.
According to court documents, O’Grady had driven to Corporation Circuit in Tweed Heads South on March 28 wearing jeans, a fluoro yellow work shirt, a fluoro vest and a blue bucket hat where he removed the water meters, including one attached to a fire station.
O’Grady was sentenced to 12 months in jail and was eligible for parole on June 28.
His licence was also disqualified for six months.
Gerhard Wilfred Weihermann
A Nimbin man who couldn’t get his medical cannabis prescription filled during the Christmas break was convicted for possessing cannabis.
Gerhard Wilfred Weihermann, 62, appeared before Lismore Local Court in February, where he pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited drug.
Weihermann had been searched by police in Nimbin on December 31, 2020 after officers witnessed him in Allsop Park on Cullen Street meeting with a “group of people known to police for drug supply offences”, court documents revealed.
Weihermann was found with 33g of cannabis which he said he paid $350 for, despite having a legal medical prescription for cannabis.
He was convicted and fined $300 by the court.
Willem Ian Ungermann
A social media prankster convicted of negligent boat use and environmental crimes will consult a lawyer for future stunts, a court heard.
Willem Ian Ungermann, 35, from Coolangatta, amassed some 315,000 followers on Instagram for his outrageous pranks, mostly on Tweed waterways.
In relation to a 2019 prank at a Fingal Head boat ramp which resulted in a car and trailer sinking into the Tweed River, Ungermann pleaded guilty to not reversing a vehicle safely, driving without proper control of a vehicle, negligently disposing of waste causing harm to the environment, polluting waters and contravening a section of the Protection of Environment Operations Act.
He also pleaded guilty in February to a further charge of negligently operating a recreational vessel in Tweed Heads Local Court relating to a September, 2020 prank involving two boats at Tumbulgum.
Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy issued Ungermann with $15,000 in fines and sentenced him to a three year community corrections order.
Gabrielle Jane Ward
A Northern Rivers woman who held up the triple-0 line to help pay for a taxi fare was reprimanded for her crime.
Gabrielle Jane Ward, 41, fronted Lismore Local Court in July, and pleaded guilty to making vexatious calls to an emergency service number.
The court heard the mother of three had headed to Coffs Harbour to assist and visit her son, but when she arrived there her mobile phone was dead, leaving her with no way to contact him for a ride.
Ward tried to use a taxi but the driver told her she had to pay in advance and the woman said she was essentially “stuck there” which made her decide to call the emergency hotline up 11 times.
Ward was convicted and sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond.
Kerry Christine Moran
A Ballina woman claimed she stole a gallery exhibit because it reminded her of her late grandmother, a Lismore court heard.
Kerry Christine Moran, 63, fronted Lismore Local Court in June, charged with one count of larceny.
The court heard the matter related to a visit to Lismore Regional Art Gallery, where she saw a lamp on display and “secreted” the item, when no staff members were present.
Moran was convicted and ordered to undertake a community correctional order for 18 months.
The order will expire on January 4, 2023.
Non-Convictions
Allan Whittaker
A Murwillumbah bus driver had crew members from I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here on board when he crashed into a police car while drink driving, a court heard.
Allan Whittaker, 52, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in October to low range drink driving and negligent driving.
According to court papers, Whittaker was hired by a television production company to transport cast and crew from Dungay Creek to their accommodation in Tweed Heads.
He was transporting four crew members when he crashed into a police car outside Tweed Heads Police Station before recording a blood alcohol concentration of 0.065.
Whittaker was sentenced to a two-year conditional release order with no conviction or licence disqualification.
Kai Michael Soumelidis
A young dancer caught driving while suspended three times in 10 days tried to get out of it by lying to police twice, court documents reveal.
Kai Michael Soumelidis, 18, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in June to three counts of driving while suspended.
Soumelidis was caught driving on May 29, June 1 and June 8 while suspended, in one instance telling police someone else was driving the car despite police having photographs of him driving.
His lawyer told the court his client was “young and dumb”.
Soumelidis was spared a conviction and sentenced to a two year conditional release order.
Fleur Gwendoline Occhilupo
The sister of famous surfer Mark Occhilupo faced court after she egged her neighbour’s home in February last year.
Doctor Fleur Gwendoline Occhilupo, 57, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in March to stalk/intimidate indenting to cause fear, harm.
Court documents reveal Occhilupo had been harassing her upstairs neighbour on Moss St, Kingscliff, for the previous week by calling her names and shouting abuse before the offence on February 29, 2020.
After yelling abuse at the neighbour Occhilupo went into her unit and grabbed three or four eggs before she went outside and threw them at her neighbour’s unit.
She was placed on a conditional release order for 12 months with no conviction.
Luke Anthony Sippel
A man charged for cultivating a prohibited plant – marijuana – has had his charges dismissed after a court found out the plant in question was a bonsai.
Luke Anthony Sippel pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court in March where he was self-represented.
Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy took into account the fact the plant was miniaturised and only had a very small quantity of leaf and said the matter was “trivial” before dismissing the charges.
Builder fighting Ballina siege charges
A North Coast man allegedly armed himself with knives and a golf club during a six-hour siege in which he told tactical police he would not come peacefully and they would have to “shoot him”. Here’s the latest.
Cowardly ‘repeat DV offender’ jailed for punching woman
A Kyogle forklift driver has been jailed for punching a woman in the face after drinks at the Nimbin Hotel, breaching an apprehended violence order. Here’s what we know.