Ashleigh Wilson, Luke Lythgoe charged over alleged luxury car theft
A heavily-tatted Queensland man and his girlfriend have fronted court charged with stealing several luxury cars across Sydney’s inner west and northwest.
Parramatta
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Gold Coast man Luke Lythgoe will remain behind bars while his girlfriend Ashleigh Wilson will be released after she pleaded guilty to her role after her partner of several months allegedly stole several luxury vehicles across Sydney.
Surry Hills police started an investigation following several reports of cars being stolen from car dealerships across Sydney’s northwest and inner west over the past month.
Police allege Lythgoe, 33, posed as a potential buyer, before taking the car for a test drive and failing to return it.
Following extensive inquiries involving Surry Hills police, North Western Metropolitan Region Enforcement Squad, St George Proactive Crime Team and PolAir, Blacktown police’s Proactive Crime Team arrested Lythgoe, of Southport, and Wilson, 21, at Westpoint shopping centre at Blacktown on Thursday about 4.15pm.
During a search of the pair, police allege several car keys were found in the woman’s handbag.
An Audi RS3, stolen from Ryde on December 30, was recovered in the shopping centre carpark, and a BMW M3, stolen from Parramatta on January 4, was recovered at Kogarah.
The pair was taken to Blacktown police station where Lythgoe, from Southport on the Gold Coast, was charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, possess identity to commit indictable offence, goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen, and three outstanding warrants.
Wilson, from Miami on the Gold Coast, was charged with goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen.
They were both refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Friday.
Wilson appeared on screen and pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining goods.
The court heard she had a rough childhood, battled drugs and was homeless when she was 14.
She was fined $500 and given a conditional release order for 12 months.
Lythgoe will remain behind bars after the court heard he had tried to evade the criminal system.
The court heard Lythgoe posed a flight risk and had outstanding warrants since 2004, 2005 and 2011.
Prosecutor Benjamin Delaroche told the court Lythgoe “announced his exploits” on Instagram and Facebook, where he describes himself as “a petty car thief with expensive taste’’ and Queensland police had tried to extradite him from NSW for similar car theft offences.
In applying for bail, defence lawyer Rebecca Francis told the court Lythgoe could live with his father in Surry Hills where he could report daily to the police station.
But bail was refused after the magistrate said Lythgoe’s record did not assist him.
His matter will return to Parramatta Local Court on January 12.
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