Taree security guard Wayne Roger Ussher, 49, sentenced in court for stealing from schools

A Mid-North Coast security guard with a “good business” embarked on a crime spree at schools, among other spots, stealing almost anything not nailed down. Police later found him with a medieval sword.

Wayne Ussher outside the court.

A Taree security guard who had built up a “good business for himself” went on an extraordinary crime spree at several schools he was employed to protect, a court heard

Wayne Roger Ussher stole items ranging from sausage rolls and chocolate bars to expensive tools from tradies employed to work at educational institutions his company was tasked to safeguard.

Ussher failed to properly lock up a shotgun, the court heard.

While sentencing Ussher, Magistrate Allison Hawkins said stealing tools of trade – including drill sets, a chainsaw, rigging equipment and a gas welder – was a “vile thing to do to hardworking people”.

The court also heard Ussher failed to properly secure guns at his Taree home. One firearm mentioned was a single barrel pump action shotgun

Ussher pleaded guilty to eight counts of larceny, three counts of not complying with gun storage requirements, three counts of stealing property as a clerk, and one count of having goods in his custody suspected of being stolen.

Wayne Roger Ussher outside Taree Local Court.

The charges were linked to offending between the end of 2021 through to October last year at educational facilities including Taree TAFE, the Great Lakes College Tuncurry Campus and Manning Gardens school, Taree.

The 49-year-old was the master licence holder for Allsafe Security Solutions at the time, according court documents.

Defence lawyer Anthony Barber told the court Ussher had built up a “good business for himself”, employing several people, before the charges were laid, but had since lost his career and “put his liberty in question”.

Ussher repeatedly helped himself, Ms Hawkins told the court, to expensive equipment like a computer and phone, but also snatched food items like sausage rolls, chocolate bars and energy drinks.

Ussher also stole $271 cash from a safe, $300 from a cash draw at a canteen and about $15 from the Valley Industries donation box.

Ussher stole a range of items, from sausage rolls to tradies’ tools.

In addition to school security, Ussher provided services at a New Year’s event at Lansdowne.

He stole rigging equipment from a company employed to provide shelters and marquees at the event.

The court heard police went to Ussher’s home to investigate and found what they described as a “medieval sword”, believed to have been stolen and worth about $1000.

Ussher was sentenced to 14-month and 12-month community correction orders, which will include electronic monitoring. He was also fined $1450.

The court heard most stolen items had been handed back and no applications for compensation had been lodged.