Joshua Thomas Wobcke: Tradie busted in Logan copper wire heist

A concreter caught breaking into a newly-built home in Park Ridge and stripping it of copper wire came up with the plan after falling on hard times, a court has heard.

A 21-year-old concreter caught breaking into a newly-built home in Park Ridge and stripping it of copper wire came up with the plan after falling on hard times, a court has heard.

Ormeau man Joshua Thomas Wobcke, 21, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday (March 22) to one count of entering premises and committing an indictable offence.

Ormeau man Joshua Thomas Wobcke, 21, leaving Beenleigh courthouse.

The court heard Wobcke and a male co-offender allegedly entered the home and stripped it for the copper wire at an estate under construction in Park Ridge, about 10.30am on January 20.

Police prosecutor Sgt Wendy Moman said a witness approached the men while they were leaving the address with a large amount of wiring in the back of a Holden Commodore Sedan.

She said the witness attempted to follow the suspects for a short time before making a formal complaint to the police.

Police then contacted Wobcke, who was the owner of the vehicle. He and a co-offender were arrested over the theft.

“He said he had been struggling to get hours at work due to Covid-19 and was in debt,” Sgt Moman said.

“He was aware of the newly-built estate and thought of a plan to steal the copper wiring and sell it to a scrap metal recycling facility.”

The court heard all of the wirings had been returned to the victim and Wobcke didn’t have a criminal history.

He was fined $800. No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Joshua Thomas Wobcke: Tradie busted in Logan copper wire heist