Craig Ashley Brandy: Pleads guilty to stealing flood damaged cars

A Tweed Heads man has been jailed after taking a car from a temporary storage for flood victims. Read what police found in the car when they caught him:

A man has been jailed for stealing a car from a flood victim storage.

A Tweed Heads man has been jailed for stealing a car from a flood damaged storage.

Craig Ashley Brandy, 31, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court on May 2 to disqualified driving, driving a conveyance taken without consent of the owner, having goods in personal custody suspected stolen and larceny.

Following the floods in Murwillumbah and Tumbulgum a temporary storage was set up for damaged vehicles on Boyds Lane, Dulguigan.

According to police facts on March 15 two witnesses noticed three vehicles were missing from the yard, a black RAV 4, a grey Range Rover and a black MG.

About 8.30pm the witnesses saw the missing RAV 4 driving towards the holding yard.

The vehicle sped past the yard and onto a dirt path between the sugar cane fields. The witnesses then followed it as it veered towards Murwillumbah.

The RAV 4 turned onto Queensland Road and Murwillumbah St, stopping at the Brisbane St intersection.

There, according to police facts, Brandy left the car and ran on foot to Queensland Rd where the witnesses chased him, noticing a 35cm metal bar in his hand.

Police drove to the incident and chased Brandy who ran to Bent St and dropped the bar before he fell to the ground and was apprehended.

Police searched the car and found power tools stolen from another car, drinks and a set of keys for other cars in the holding yard.

Defence lawyer Phil Mulherin told the court his client believed the RAV 4 belonged to a farmer he had been working for and he had taken it to search for missing horses.

He said Brandy had not taken notice of the other items that were found in the car.

Mr Mulherin noted Brandy had just finished an intensive corrections order for similar offending.

Brandy was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with two months non-parole, back dated to March 15.

He is eligible for release on May 14.

Brandy was also disqualified from driving for six months.

Originally published as Craig Ashley Brandy: Pleads guilty to stealing flood damaged cars