Karl Humphries admitted to breaking into Burradoo building site to steal $32,000 excavator

A father-of-ten has been caught red-handed trying to steal a $32,000 excavator from a building site in an idyllic Southern Highlands suburb.

A man has admitted to a raft of offences after he broke into a Burradoo building site and was caught by police in the act of stealing a $32,000 excavator.

Karl Humphries, 35, appeared in Picton Court via audiovisual link on Wednesday to plead guilty to entering a building site with the intent of committing an indictable offence, taking and driving conveyance without the consent of the owner, possessing housebreaking and vehicle break in tools, destruction of property, and committing an indictable crime with a previous conviction.

The Bargo resident has not entered pleas to the remaining charges of having goods that are suspected of being stolen, intimidation, and using unauthorised number plates.

Karl Humphries broke into a building site in Burradoo to steal a $32,000 excavator.

About 7.45pm on January 19, police patrolling on Moss Vale Rd, Burradoo saw a man driving a Kubota excavator on a building site. Police allege the man, 30-year-old Adam Mitchell Davis, was driving the 1.7 tonne machine towards a forced opening in the temporary fence around the site.

According to the court documents, officers saw Humphries standing beside a Ford ute with a trailer attached, and approached him. The facts state he and his co-accused told police they had attended the site to collect the excavator for its ‘owner’, who had asked them to bring it to Campbelltown.

Humphries told police the owner, who he called ‘Tim’, had called him and offered him $250 to retrieve his company’s excavator, valued at around $32,000, and provided him with the key. The key seized by police from the men was a universal key for Kubota excavators, according to the facts.

Police saw the temporary fencing had been lifted up from the heavy blocks and pushed open to gain entry to the building site, and a cut metal cable and padlock were lying near where the excavator had been locked up.

Mr Davis allegedly told police they didn’t use the gate because they were “told to go through the fence”.

The facts show police searched the ute and found two sets of bolt cutters, which Humphries agreed “does look sus”. According to the documents, he said the vehicle was his father’s and he was involved in scrap metal.

The father-of-ten also told police the trailer attached to the ute was affixed with number plates belonging to his wife’s trailer, according to the facts.

Karl Humphries appeared in Picton Court on February 23. Picture: Adelaide Lang

While talking with police, the facts show Humphries got a call from ‘Tim’, who was saved in his phone as ‘JD”. Police spoke with the man for a long time but were unable to verify any of the information he provided about his excavation business, including the ABN, address, or business name.

At the time of the alleged theft, Humphries was serving sentences for previous convictions relating to aggravated break and enter offences.

Mr Davis has pleaded not guilty to entering a building site with the intent of committing an indictable offence, taking and driving conveyance without the consent of the owner, possessing housebreaking and vehicle break in tools, destruction of property, and committing an indictable crime with a previous conviction.

Humphries will return to Picton Court on April 6 to be sentenced for the thwarted excavator heist. He remains in custody on remand.