$100,000 allegedly stolen from safe by NSW cop and co-accused in Lightning Ridge raid

An opal town in the NSW’s wild northwest was the scene of an alleged heist where an off-duty cop and a willing accomplice broke into a home, bound up an elderly man and snitched $100,000 from a safe.

NSW Police generic. Picture: Tom Parrish

An opal town in the NSW’s wild northwest was the scene of an alleged heist where an off-duty cop and a willing accomplice broke into a home, bound up an elderly man and snitched $100,000 from a safe.

The officer, whose name was suppressed by Magistrate Michael Ong in Wollongong Local Court on Friday, and his co-accused Clayton John Hobbs, 51, are both charged with aggravated breaking and entering and committing a serious indictable offence.

According to police, at about 7.30pm on Thursday, October 3, emergency services were called to a property in Lightning Ridge following reports two men had allegedly forced their way into a 78-year-old man’s home.

Police allege the men tied up the elderly man, before threatening him and stealing $100,000 in cash.

The victim was treated by paramedics for arm and leg injuries and taken to Lightning Ridge Hospital in a stable condition. He has since been discharged.

The alleged offending occurred in the NSW opal capital, Lightning Ridge. Picture: Google Maps

Central North District Police District detectives subsequently launched an investigation, with the matter being referred to the Professional Standards Command after one of the men allegedly involved was identified as an off-duty NSW Police senior constable.

Following investigations, two police raids were carried out on Thursday at homes in the southern Illawarra under Strike Force Beniel.

Police uncovered several items relevant to the investigation during the searches.

During a subsequent vehicle stop at Shell Cove, investigators arrested the officer and Hobbs who were taken to and charged at Lake Illawarra Police Station.

In court on Friday the officer, represented by solicitor Graeme Morrison, did not apply for bail with Mr Ong formally refusing it before adjourning the case to next week.

The case was before Wollongong Local Court on Friday.

Mr Morrison asked for an interim suppression order on his client’s name citing concerns for his mental health which was granted by the magistrate.

The officer’s employment status is under review.

Fellow Morrisons Law solicitor Analise Ritchie represented Hobbs during his bail application where she put forward residential and curfew conditions.

Crown prosecutor Sally Stuart opposed bail, noting concerns about Hobbs committing further offences, failing to show up to court and interfering with prosecution witnesses.

“The court of conduct is quite serious and significant,” Mr Ong said as he denied Hobbs conditional liberty.

The magistrate described the alleged offending as “sophisticated” and highlighted the “significant degree of impost” by way of time and travel to commit the crime.

The officer’s case will return to Wollongong Local Court next week while Hobbs’ matter was adjourned to Walgett Local Court in December.

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