Brett Spits: Ski-racing identity steals V8 Supercar champion’s boat

A well-known Echuca racing identity stole a V8 Supercar champion’s boat among three others that were worth $500,000 combined.

Ski-racing identity Brett Spitts, pictured driving, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and one of handling stolen goods in Melbourne County Court on Friday. Picture: Steve Huntley

A well-known Echuca ski-racing identity stole V8 Supercar champion Mark Winterbottom’s boat among three others, a court has heard.

Brett Spits, 38, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft and one of handling stolen goods in Melbourne County Court on Friday.

His co-accused Lincoln Mifsud, 45, also from Echuca, pleaded guilty to four counts of handling stolen goods.

Court documents reveal, Winterbottom’s blue Malibu Wakesetter VTX, valued at $135,000, was taken from a Bundalong property’s carport on February 25 last year.

The prosecution said the offenders cut the lock off the boat hitch so it could be towed.

CCTV footage and multiple stills obtained by authorities from different addresses in Bundalong depicted a white Tray back Land Cruiser towing the boat.

When Winterbottom uploaded pictures of the boat to his social media pages, he was contacted by several people who recognised the vehicle as belonging to Spits.

The following night another Malibu Wakesetter and trailer, valued at $140,000, was taken from another Bundalong property.

It followed two separate incidents in Mulwala on January 26 and 27, 2020 where a white Malibu Wakesetter VLX, valued at $155,000, and orange and blue Malibu Wakesetter, valued at $95,000, were taken from two properties in Melbourne St, Mulwala.

CCTV footage showed the white ski boat being towed by a white Range Rover, owned by Spits and found at his residence in a raid on February 28, across the weir bridge from Mulwala to Yarrawonga.

In the case of the blue boat, a witness told police he heard a noise outside his window and observed a white Ford Ranger attach the boat before drifting off.

On February 28, police executed search warrants at Spits’ residence and Misfud’s business in Echuca.

An anonymous tip-off told police one of the boat’s stolen from Bundalong was located Mifsud’s workshop.

Mifsud then took police to the location of the three other stolen boats at Matong Dr, Echuca.

Police spoke with the owner of the property who said Mifsud rented the shed where the boats were found for $390 a month.

Authorities also seized a USB containing CCTV footage which showed Spits, Mifsud and an unknown male at the shed on the night of February 27.

It showed the Range Rover, which belongs to Spits, being driven by him and he can be seen backing the stolen white and blue boat into the shed.

Mifsud can be observed walking into the view of the camera.

The matter will return to court at a later date.