Deborah Love buried gun to protect son accused of Albion Park Rail opal robbery

A mother who didn’t want her son to “do more time” buried a gun, a phone and an opal in a vain attempt to cover-up his alleged involvement in an armed opal heist, a court heard.

Deborah Love leavinng Wollongong Courthouse on Friday. Picture: Dylan Arvela

An Illawarra mother covered-up the alleged involvement of her son in an armed opal heist by burying evidence in her backyard, a court has heard.

Deborah Gail Love fronted Wollongong District Court on Friday to be sentenced for her “serious crimes against the community” of hindering an investigation of a serious indictable offence and possessing an unauthorised firearm.

Judge Andrew Haesler convicted the 64-year-old and sentenced her to a 12-month intensive corrections order with the stipulation she complete 50 hours of community service and continue treatment with her psychiatrist.

Deborah Love’s son, Clayton David Love, 43, was allegedly part of an armed robbery on the Princes Hwy in Albion Park in February, 2021.

According to police, four people, one armed with a sawn-off rifle and another with a machete, kicked in the front door before making away with more than 1,000 opal stones worth approximately $500,000.

Documents tendered in court said Clayton, who was in custody on remand, and his mother spoke on the phone on no fewer than 16 occasions between May 5 and July 20, 2021, with the pair making comments indicating they were aware the conversation was being recorded.

On May 20, last year, police conducted a search of Deborah’s Sierra Dr, Horsley abode, and Clayton’s soon-to-be-vacated address on Compton St, Dapto.

Deborah Love avoided a full-time custodial sentence for hindering a police investigation. Picture: Dylan Arvela

According to the documents during these searches police found a face sock, instructions on how to cook up prohibited drugs, a black balaclava and a black bag “consistent” with a rifle bag.

“They (police) are suspecting you; you’re tied in with a robbery at Albion Park,” Deborah said on a call the following day with her son denying any involvement in the robbery.

In a phone conversation at 3.43pm on July 5, Clayton divulged he had “other stuff to sell” that was “worth good doe, very good doe”.

In a separate call an hour later, he told his mother “I will do a 10-year stint for what someone said” with Deborah responding ”They have nothing on you whatsoever”.

On July 6, Clayton asked his mother if she had “seen the pups” which she said she ”sure did” with police alleging the ”big blue one” and the ”pale white ones” were references to the stolen opals.

The court documents said two days later, Clayton called his mother to ask her to collect some “old, rare coins” from his now vacated place on Compton St with the son pleading for her to “just put them somewhere are your place” or ”up the road”.

The documents said on the afternoon of July 11, the container with the “old, rare coins” was retrieved, however, instead of coins it contained a .22 calibre revolver which Deborah buried in her backyard.

At 7.25m on July 15, police executed a search warrant of Deborah’s mother, Delma Wingrove, where they located a Gonher-branded imitation revolver wrapped in a green cloth inside a safe.

The court documents said Ms Wingrove told the officers the fake firearm was found in her grandson‘s garage and she had been asked if she could store it in her safe which she agreed to despite it “worrying her” and leaving her “not knowing what to do”.

Ms Wingrove has not been charged in relation to this matter.

The Gonher-branded imitation revolver located in Clayton Love’s grandmother’s safe.

At around the same time, police executed another search warrant of Deborah’s address where they dug up the real revolver along with approximately 57 rounds of ammunition, Clayton’s phone and a rough-cut opal.

Deborah initially denied involvement in the plot before admitting to police she had buried the items.

She said she had looked up “media reports” about the break-in at Albion Park Rail and she told police she ”felt sad for the victims” and thought they would have been ”petrified” before admitting she knew her son was being investigated by police.

“Well as a mother, I love my son and I don’t want my son to do more time,” Deborah said when asked why she didn’t contact the police.

“I just think it’s a motherly thing that kicks in, oh, I’m going to protect my son no matter what.”

On the same morning, at 10.57am, Deborah spoke to her son and told him not to “say anything because they are recording all our phone calls” before telling him she had the police here ”going through the house” and “giving up the gardens”.

Deborah told her son that the police had found the gun, ammunition and an opal with the son replying “What the f--k? That‘s b------t” before claiming he “wasn’t in the bloody area” at the time of the opal heist and that he had ”Paypal receipts for the opals”.

The court documents said Clayton told his mother he knew “nothing about the gun” and ”anyone could have put it in the back garden” before cutting the conversation with “anyway they are listening and I’ve got nothing to hide”.

On July 20, Clayton was released from custody for the unrelated matters to reside with his father at Windellama, half-an-hour south of Goulburn.

Clayton attended Wollongong Local Court on November 10, 2021, where he was placed under arrest for his alleged involvement in the opal robbery with his mother arrested at Lake Illawarra Command the following day.

Clayton Love will appear in Wollongong Local Court in December.

In court on Friday, Judge Haesler said it was “clear she along with others took active steps to hinder the police investigation”.

“Her motivation cannot excuse serious criminal activity,” he continued.

“The only option she had was to either say no or arrange for the immediate surrender of those items.”

Clayton has pleaded not guilty to the charges of aggravated break and enter to commit an indictable offence, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, acquiring a prohibited fire while subject to a prohibition order, supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis, supplying an indictable quantity of prohibited drugs, two counts of possessing an unauthorised pistol, acting with the intent to influence a witness and contriving an AVO.

He will appear in Wollongong Local Court in December.