Hot stone: Man brought ‘down to earth’ over stolen meteorite

A drug-addicted pool builder who hid a stolen 11kg meteorite as a rock ornament in his garden has been sentenced for multiple offences.

A DRUG-addicted pool builder who hid a stolen 11kg meteorite as a rock ornament in his garden has been brought “down to earth” and thrown in jail for his offending.

The historic meteorite, which is believed to be up to 5 billion years old and valued at $15,000, was stolen from Atherton’s Crystal Caves museum in June 2015 in a midnight raid, just two weeks after it was donated to the business.

It was unearthed at the Wolfe Creek meteorite crater in Western Australia in 1973 and believed to have originated in an area of space between Mars and Jupiter.

Sisters Celilia Boissevain and Ghis Gallo from family business The Crystal Caves in Atherton were reunited with the stolen meteorite last year. Picture: Brendan Radke

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No one has been charged with the theft of the soccer ball-sized stone, but Cairns man Joseph William Gertig, 46, was sentenced on Thursday for receiving the unusual item, along with possession of methylamphetamines, cannabis and drug utensils.

The court heard police raided Gertig’s Mooroobool home in July last year, locating him and seven “associates” sitting around a table with 6.31g of ice, with cannabis and pipes also found.

Justice Jim Henry said it was some time later while Gertig was in custody that he was overheard talking about “keeping a heavy round thing safe”.

“(Police) put two and two together,” he said, with officers returning to search his residence again and locating the meteorite.

“Evidentially it had come to earth to the Wolfe Creek crater.

The extremely rare rock is estimated to be 4 to 5 billion years old. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It is said to be worth $15,000 for those who put a price on something from outer space.

“It’s a significant item and you must have realised its intrinsic value.”

Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane told the court the rock had suffered some “bumps and bruises” but had been repaired and returned to its Crystal Caves owners.

He said Gertig claimed to have had it for five years, but was not the one who stole it.

Defence barrister Michael Dalton said his client described himself as a “functioning drug addict” who was still able to work as a landscaper and pool builder despite his meth use.

“He was aware (the meteorite) was stolen and it basically sat in his garden as a bit of a novelty for a number of years,” he said.

Justice Henry described Gertig’s primarily drug-related criminal history as “verging on hopeless” and handed him a 16-month jail sentence with parole eligibility in July this year.

Originally published as Hot stone: Man brought ‘down to earth’ over stolen meteorite