Woolworths roof bandit: Bradley David Edwards tells cops he was waiting for a mate on Deeragun shop roof

A masked man caught on the roof of a NQ supermarket at night with bolt cutters told cops he knew nothing about a nearby wheelie bin full of copper wires.

A masked Deeragun man caught scaling a roof at night with bolt cutters has stuck to his story that he was just waiting for a mate, and knew nothing about a nearby wheelie bin full of copper wires.

Bradley David Edwards, 50, was dressed head-to-toe in camo and wearing gumboots, gloves and a mask when police found him on the roof of the old Woolworths Deeragun building on May 25.

In Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday, July 30, police prosecutor Lennon Stathoulis said the Woolworths supermarket was being renovated and contractors had installed CCTV cameras to protect their tools when left overnight on site.

“At 10.30pm contractors observed a person entering into the building site, and that was captured on CCTV footage and they called police,” Mr Stathoulis.

“Police located the defendant (Edwards) on top of the roof.”

A frame grab from a video supplied by Townsville Police showing a man caught red-handed atop Woodlands Village Shopping Centre in Deeragun. Picture: Supplied

Mr Stathoulis said Edwards was wearing a dark mask around his face, a headlamp, and his gloves were “secured to his arms with electrical tape”.

He also had tools on him including bolt cutters, wire cutters, a multi-grip tool and a UHF scanner, the court heard.

Police also located a wheelie bin filled with copper cable which the building manager did not recognise, leaving police to allege Edwards brought the bin with him.

Bradley Edwards, 50, was caught on the roof of the abandoned Woolworths Deeragun dressed head-to-toe in camo and carrying bolt cutters.

Police also located a glass smoking pipe with meth residue when they searched Edwards.

When asked what he was doing, Edwards told police he’d been contacted earlier in the day by “someone” who’d told him to meet a third person “at the back of the old Woolworths at night”, the court heard.

“He said he wasn’t sure why he was there to meet these people, or what it was in relation to,” Mr Stathoulis said.

“He then denied any knowledge of the tools or the copper cabling. He said the wire cutters in his pocket were for some work he’d been performing at home.”

Edwards was arrested and taken to the watch house, where he was denied bail and imprisoned on remand.

Bradley Edwards, 50, was caught on the roof of the abandoned Woolworths Deeragun dressed head-to-toe in camo and carrying bolt cutters.

The court heard the 50-year-old’s criminal history was not in his favour – in January 2025 he was sentenced for property offences and in 2019 he’d been charged with three counts of enter premises to commit indictable offence by break.

Defence lawyer Tracy Brown said her client was pulled out of school in year 7 to help his “alcoholic” parents with fruit picking work.

“Drinking deteriorated into cannabis use which turned to meth,” Ms Brown said.

“He has an inability to hold down a job.”

The court heard Edwards has six children with his ex-wife, and lives in social housing.

Magistrate Richard Lehman said there was a “general intent to steal copper” in Edwards’ offending.

“This is property offending to fund a drug habit,” Magistrate Lehman said.

Edwards pleaded guilty to four charges: enter premises with intent, possess face mask with intent to commit offence, possess a glass pipe with meth residue, and possess thing for use in offence.

Edwards was sentenced to 15 months in prison, and given a parole release date of 25 October 2025.

Originally published as Woolworths roof bandit: Bradley David Edwards tells cops he was waiting for a mate on Deeragun shop roof