Garden robbery in Mosman: repeat offender steals jasmine from prime real estate

AN UPSET homeowner has warned passers-by: “Smile you are now on camera!” after a jealous thief stole plants from her newly renovated garden.

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FORGET tree killers annoyed with nature ruining their harbour views, Mosman is home to a plant thief who must be green with garden envy.

One by one, the variegated star jasmine plants disappeared from the newly landscaped front garden of Kirsty Freyer’s house. At least five small shrubs have gone missing in the past month.

The lifelong Mosman resident renovated her front yard before Christmas to include a pretty external garden bed by the footpath for passers-by to admire and enjoy.

It seems one passer-by may have gone too far, however, and stole a selection of plants from Mrs Freyer’s garden for their own collection.

A thief has stolen at least five small plants from the newly landscaped front garden of Mosman resident Kirsty Freyer, prompting her to make a warning sign. Picture: David Swift

Their dishonest actions prompted Mrs Freyer to make a warning sign and place it in the partly empty garden bed.

The sign reads: “To the person that deems it appropriate to steal our plants, :-) Smile you are now on camera!”

Mrs Freyer and her family have lived in the house for a year and are proud of their complete front yard renovation.

“We opted to have a nice garden bed for people to admire and have been nurturing our plants since Christmas Eve,” she said.

“One by one, they have been pinched out of the front yard.”

The homemade sign in the partly empty garden bed. Picture: David Swift

Mrs Freyer believes the thief admired and stole the jasmine for their own use, not as a prank.

She said the cost of the stolen plants was nominal but that was far from the point.

“It’s the annoyance of it all,” Mrs Freyer said.

“It’s just frustrating the attitude of people who think they can do it.

“Everyone you tell, they can’t believe it happened in Mosman.

“It’s disheartening that it would happen in a suburb like Mosman.

“I have lived here all my life and it’s just very disappointing that people would do this.

“Lots of people admire our garden but some deem it appropriate to steal.”

One example of a tree poisoned in Mosman in order to improve harbour views, photographed in 2004. Picture: John Grainger

Tree vandalism is more common in Mosman than plant theft. The council has been forced to replace trees and install huge banners because the trees have been drilled and poisoned by people keen to improve their harbour views.

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