Karen Yerbury, Regan Yerbury charged over fake car theft
A police officer and an NRL cheerleader charged with faking their car’s theft for an insurance payout allegedly told detectives “gangsters” took their Mazda CX5. Shocking court files reveal new details of the allegations against them.
St George Shire Standard
Don't miss out on the headlines from St George Shire Standard. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Caringbah hairdresser admits sexually touching teen
- Teacher accused of sexually assaulting teen in bail bid
- Shocking map shows COVID-19 cases by postcode
A senior police officer and her NRL cheerleader daughter charged with faking their car’s theft for a five-figure insurance payout allegedly told detectives “gangsters” stole their vehicle.
Senior sergeant Karen Yerbury, her daughter Regan Yerbury, Regan’s athletics coach Gavin Dunn and his associate Glen Stone have been charged over two alleged attempts to disappear the Yerburys’ SUV from their Engadine home in exchange for a $30,000 insurance payout.
All four have pleaded not guilty to dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage over the alleged fake thefts of the vehicle.
New documents tendered to the Supreme Court reveal shocking new details of the allegations against the Yerburys, which include revelations police listened to the mother and daughter discuss the car’s disappearance using a bug obtained under a warrant in their family home.
“The Crown case foreshadows evidence … (including) conversations between the defendant and her daughter, obtained from a listening device installed in the defendant’s home under warrant,” the Supreme Court documents state.
“(It also includes) evidence of (a man), who would say he was recruited by Glen Stone and Gavin Dunn to remove the motor vehicle in February 2018, to give the appearance that it had been stolen, and that he was provided with a key for that purpose.”
Details of the prosecution case emerged in the Supreme Court as the Crown sought to overturn a decision by Magistrate Julie Huber not to include an interview detectives had with Karen Yerbury shortly after her arrest as evidence in the local court proceedings against her.
The Supreme Court has now ruled the recordings can be used in the case against Karen Yerbury as her defence was unable to justify their earlier assertions her arrest was unlawful.
Police allege the Yerburys first tried to fake the vehicle’s theft in May 2017 before police swiftly located and returned the errant Mazda.
The Yerburys allegedly made a second attempt to fake the car’s theft on February 25, 2018 – and subsequently claimed the $30,000 insurance payout despite police locating the vehicle once again on March 10.
“On March 10 2018 (a man) and three other males were arrested in possession of the vehicle,” the Supreme Court documents stated.
“Police notified the defendant immediately and she advised the insurer’s investigator that the vehicle had been recovered – notwithstanding recovery of the vehicle it appears it was treated by the insurer as a write-off (and she) was informed her claim had been approved.”
The Crown will also rely on texts, tapped phone calls, and the strange lack of damage to the vehicle both times it was recovered in the case against the Yerburys, Dunn and Stone.
“There was no sign of forced entry or interference with locks, and that the person who was in possession of the vehicle when it was recovered in March 2018 had a factory key,” the Supreme Court documents state.
“There are recordings of the defendant’s calls to the police assistance line in May 2017 and in February 2018, in which she said that she had only one set of keys to the vehicle.”
Police will also allege they intercepted a phone call between Karen Yerbury and her former partner, in which she discussed Regan being under investigation for fraud.
“(Karen) said that her daughter had then showed her messages on the daughter’s phone dating from May 2017 in which reference was made to “gangsters” having seized the vehicle,” the Supreme Court documents say.
The hearing before Ms Huber at Downing Centre Local Court in March was adjourned before the COVID-19 outbreak and a date is yet to be set for the hearing to resume.