Patrick Carroll fire: Cleaner Anthony Jones pleads not guilty to alleged $160k art theft
The contract cleaner who allegedly stole $160,000 worth of artwork from artist Patrick Carroll who died in a fire at The Entrance has pleaded not guilty to larceny.
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A contract cleaner charged with stealing 87 pieces of art from the scene of the tragic fire at The Entrance which killed a prominent artist has entered a plea.
Anthony Lesley Jones, of Maitland, appeared at Wyong Local Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charge of larceny.
Jones was the contractor hired to clean up after the fire at Ebbtide Mall in The Entrance which killed artist Patrick Carroll in his studio on October 20, 2019.
Police allege Jones stole dozens of the dead man’s works believed to be worth more than $160,000.
Charge sheets tendered to court state that between December 18, 2019 and January 30, 2020 Mr Jones, 50, allegedly stole property belonging to Mr Carroll and his wife Rachael.
This included paintings, sketches, sculptures, goblets, trophies, watch, statues and a camera which were at Mr Carroll’s studio.
Mr Carroll, 69, was trapped in his studio on the first floor of the shopping centre after a lounge outside his shop’s door was allegedly lit by a teenager.
Mr Carroll had been putting the final brushstrokes to a painting for an exhibition when the blaze took hold. He desperately called triple-0 after realising he could not escape. He was pulled free by rescuers but died of smoke inhalation.
Following the fire, the owners of Ebbtide Mall called in contractors to help clean up the damaged mall, including the art studio.
Strike Force Zorianna was established to investigate the fatal fire and they will allege many of Mr Carroll’s valuable works were stolen from the shop during the decontamination and structural assessments.
The investigation led them to Mr Jones who was arrested at a Bateau Bay worksite on May 14. Police carried out a search warrant at Mr Jones’s unit in Maitland and allegedly seized an air rifle, pen gun, electronic stun gun, ammunition and prohibited drugs.
Jones is facing 10 charges, with a majority relating to firearms and drug offences. He entered guilty pleas to possess ammunition; possess unauthorised firearm; possess unregistered firearm and possess prohibited drug.
Jones also entered not guilty pleas to charges of possessing an unauthorised pistol; possessing an unregistered firearm/pistol; not keeping firearm safely and possessing or using a prohibited weapon.
He will appear in Wyong Local Court again on August 5.