Notorious Melbourne bandits and burglars: Ebony Bouchaud, Jack Quinlivan, Stuart Holmes
These Melbourne bandits and burglars schemed scores and bungled heists but none spotted the heat comin’ around the corner.
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Some crooks fall into opportunistic crime, others plot sly scores but most, like this ragtag bunch below, bungle their way into a jail cell.
Check the boyfriend and girlfriend collective who went on an expensive liquor theft spree, the posh boy who did over a post office then made his short escape via a skateboard and the notorious one-legged jewel bandit among the Melbourne heisters to get scorched by police heat.
BONNIE AND CLYDE BOOZE BANDITS
A pair of Bonnie and Clyde booze bandits nabbed high-end liquor including a $7000 bottle of Japanese whiskey during a month-long crime spree.
Brad Hynds and his girlfriend Ebony Bouchaud targeted eight Dan Murphy’s stores, and a Doncaster East bottle shop, between October and November 2018.
Hynds, a plasterer, and Bouchaud entered the stores, placed the bottles in bags, jumped the entry gates then fled.
The couple made off with 14 bottles during one heist.
Hynds would then “palm off” the liquor to third-party sellers for below cost price.
Hynds and Bouchaud scored big after they robbed Nick’s Wine Merchants at East Doncaster on November 21, 2018.
Hynds planned the robbery after he “sussed” out the Jackson Court institution on the internet.
The pair came prepared with a makeshift stepladder comprised of two milk crates zip-tied together.
He threatened the attendant while Bouchaud used the milk crates to nab a $7000 bottle of 2009 Suntory Yamazaki Cask Single Malt Whiskey.
The lovebirds were arrested outside their South Melbourne apartment less than three hours later.
Hynds told police he sold the bottle – which was never recovered – to a South Melbourne market merchant known only as “John”.
Hynds was sentenced in the County Court in February 2020 to time served – 77 days – after pleading guilty to armed robbery and several theft charges.
Judge Patricia Riddell said Hynds and Bouchaud committed “planned and premeditated” offending.
“You (Hynds) admitted, as I’ve said, ‘sussing out’ those premises,” she said.
“You obviously both knew exactly what and where that bottle was located (at the East Doncaster heist),” Judge Riddell said.
Bouchaud was sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court in September 2019 to a 12-month community corrections order and ordered to repay $12,325.32.
THE GREAT GOLD HEIST
Donvale dad Daniel Ede posed as the hapless victim during a brazen $3.9 million gold, cash and jewellery heist.
Ede was sentenced in the County Court in February last year to a minimum three years’ and nine months’ jail after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary and theft.
Ede and his longtime mate Karl Kachami planned the daylight heist which went down at Melbourne Gold Company’s secure Collins St office on April 27 2020.
Ede, who was the company manager at the time, played the inside man while Kachami did the heavy lifting as the bogus bandit.
Ede buzzed Kachami into the fortified office just after 9.30am and the bumbling pair got to work staging the sham holdup.
Kachami, disguised in a large hat, surgical mask and hi-vis, crept up behind Ede and pulled out a black Glock, allegedly saying “this is a robbery”.
Ede led his crony through the office and into a room which contained a safe and the modem and hard drives for the CCTV cameras.
The court heard almost $2.4 million worth of gold bullion had been delivered just days before the heist.
Ede disconnected the CCTV but the foolish crook didn’t realise it ran on back-up so cameras continued recording his incompetence.
Ede then signalled to Kachami to take the gun out of his jacket, the court was told.
CCTV footage showed the unloaded gun was missing the magazine.
Kachami filled his loot bag and toolbox with a stack of cash, gold and jewellery Ede had conveniently removed from various safes.
Ede attempted to divert Kachami’s attention to another safe which contained gold bullion worth more than $4 million and $600,000 cash.
However, Kachami didn’t “take the hint” despite Ede waving his arm and kicking a case near the safe, the court was told.
The clutz crew’s acting performance was signed-off after Kachami forced Ede to lie face down on the floor.
Kachami cable-tied Ede’s wrists then fled but not before he allowed two customers to enter the level 7 office.
Police searched Kachami’s house and another property and seized gold bars, jewellery the handgun and almost $350,000 cash after the bandit was nabbed in Camberwell not long after.
Kachami, who later copped to the heist, led investigators to a location next to his family’s property at Dollar in South Gippsland where most of the gold had been buried.
The court heard the bulk of the gold, jewellery and cash was returned but $333,420 has yet to be recovered.
Ede, who admitted his involvement after initially giving detectives the run-around, was jailed for a maximum five years and nine months.
Kachami was jailed in November 2020 for a maximum of four years with a minimum of two years.
TEEN’S SHOPPING CENTRE HEIST SPREE
A brazen teen who knocked over multiple shopping centres, smashing his way into the complexes stealing more than $140,000 in cash and cigarettes has been jailed.
Thomas Toma was sentenced in the County Court in February last year to a minimum two years and three months’ jail after pleading guilty to 51 charges including numerous theft, burglary and criminal damage offences.
Toma hit 16 stores at various Melbourne shopping centres between December 2019 and January 20, 2020.
The teenage hood, who worked with two accomplices, also caused more than $50,000 in damage during his almost month-long rampage.
Toma and his gang mobilised four stolen cars, including a Mercedes and a Porsche, to speed between their early-morning burglaries.
Toma used a sledgehammer to smash the stores’ doors, often having to break through the entrance to the shopping centre first, before he and a co-offender went straight to the office or safe.
Toma took down his biggest score after he raided Roxburgh Village’s TSG tobacco store on January 11 and fled with a safe containing $55,470 worth of cigarettes and $10,730 cash.
Toma fled with a safe containing $42,151 cash and smokes worth $15,585 from Roxburgh Park store Freshplus the next day.
Toma and his crew also targeted TSG stores in East Keilor, Oak Park and Craigieburn Central, Flight Centre stores at Northcote Plaza and Broadmeadows Shopping Centre, Home Bargains and Money Exchange at Roxburgh Park and Tobacco Station at Ferntree Gully Plaza.
The court heard Toma attempted to mask his identity from CCTV cameras by wearing inside-out hoodies, his pants backwards and t-shirts wrapped around his face.
The junior Neil McCauley — the Robert De Niro villain from heist movie Heat — also wore socks over his shoes to avoid leaving shoe impressions.
The court heard Toma, who put in a “significant amount of planning to the heists”, was nabbed with videos of an IGA Greensborough employee showing where the safe was in the store’s office.
The video was taken prior to Toma and his gang knocking over the store and stealing the contents of the safe with ease.
Police arrested Toma and searched his family’s Roxburgh Park home but the artful dodger had already wiped his phone.
Toma was jailed for a maximum of four years.
THE ONE-LEGGED JEWEL BANDIT
A one-legged bandit armed with a hammer and crutches robbed jewels worth $20,000 from an Eastland jeweller after threatening to shoot staff.
Jack Quinlivan was sentenced in the County Court in June 2020 to a minimum 25 months jail after pleading guilty to armed robbery.
Quinlivan targeted Holdsworth Bros. Jewellers after taking a taxi to Eastland shopping centre on May 13, 2019.
Quinlivan, a lower-leg amputee, convinced a shop assistant into pulling expensive emerald and diamond rings out of the display cabinet.
He swiped the rings off the counter when the assistant served another customer.
Quinlivan then shouted at staff to “take out all their expensive items” because he was there to “rob them”.
Quinlivan, armed with a hammer, told frightened staff “not to do anything silly”.
He also told a shop assistant he was armed with a “revolver” and he would shoot her.
Staff bolted to the exit and pulled the shutter down to lock Quinlivan in the store but he used his crutches to prise the security door open.
The bandit then threatened to shoot a cleaner who prevented his escape.
Quinlivan fled to a waiting taxi with four rings valued at $19,240.
Two rings were recovered at separate Cash Converters stores and Quinlivan, on bail for an aggravated burglary, was arrested two days later.
Quinlivan was jailed for a maximum of four years and one month.
THE ARMED ROBBER WHO HANDED BACK HIS LOOT
A knife-wielding roof plumber robbed a Coburg service station then handed his loot back almost immediately.
Mohmoud El-Achkar was sentenced in the County Court in August 2020 to time served – 154 days – after pleading guilty to armed robbery.
El-Achkar was driven to a Sydney Rd Caltex by a friend just before 6pm on December 9 last year.
El-Achkar had a bleeding lip and he was angry when entered the store armed with a knife, the court heard.
He pointed his knife at the store attendant and asked her to open the safe.
“Hurry up,” El-Achkar repeatedly said.
The victim emptied the till and handed El-Achkar $150.
He left the store then ran towards an alley.
However, El-Achkar returned two minutes later, went to the locked store door and waved the cash at the attendant.
The court heard El-Achkar said “Sorry, I f****d up” or “sorry I’m just trying to f**k my life up” then left.
El-Achkar rang police and confessed his crimes while his friend drove them to the city, St Kilda and back to Coburg.
He eventually handed himself into Fawkner police station about 8.30pm where he was arrested, charged and later remanded.
El-Achkar, a roof plumber, was also handed a 14-month community correction order.
POSH BOY’S POST OFFICE HEIST
A drug-fuelled dad robbed a Bentleigh East post office by knifepoint then skateboarded back to his partner’s house where he was arrested less than 15 minutes later.
Stuart Holmes was sentenced in the County Court in July 2020 to time served — 277 days — after pleading guilty to armed robbery.
Holmes stormed the Mackie Rd Post Office disguised with a wig and armed with a 30cm bread knife on September 23 last year.
The former Caulfield Grammar student — where his late father Angas Holmes was principal for many years — demanded staff at the husband and wife-owned post office hand over cash.
“Nobody move I want all of the money,” Holmes said.
Holmes also told a 17-year-old customer to “get against a wall”.
The victim thought the situation was a joke so she recorded the robbery on her phone, the court heard.
Holmes turned back to the staff and repeated his demands for money.
“I mean, it give me your money,” he said.
Staff emptied almost $6500 from the two tills into Holmes’ bag before he fled scene on a skateboard.
Witnesses followed the post office bandit to his partner’s nearby home where he was arrested less than 15 minutes later.
Police seized the wig and the skateboard but the cash and knife were never recovered.
The court heard Holmes dumped the items during his escape but was “unable to offer any insight” to where he stashed the cash.
The money was eventually paid back in full by Holmes’ mother.
Holmes told police he denied robbing the post office but then said he couldn’t recall the offending.
The court heard Holmes managed to consume white wine, Diazepam, GHB and meth prior to the heist which occurred about 1.30pm.
Holmes was also handed a two-community correction order.
THE GREAT GRAND FINAL CAR HEIST
A former member of a notorious gangland-linked western suburbs gang was exposed as a major player in a $351,000 car yard mega-heist.
Alim Kulafi was sentenced in the County Court in February last year to a minimum three years’ jail after pleading guilty to burglary and 15 theft charges.
The former Sunshine Boys gang member and his crew raided Derrimut wreckers Toylex R Us late on September 28, 2019.
Kulafi used the cover of dark and the distraction of the 2019 AFL grand final played earlier in the day to break in and heist 15 cars worth a total of $351,000.
The court heard Kulafi and others raided the yard, drove away with cars and returned multiple times during the near 26-hour heist.
Kulafi fled with his final score just after 8am on September 29.
The crew’s criminality was caught on CCTV and a torch, phone, glove and pair of gloves were found at the car yard.
However, the hoods remained on the run until October 2 after a Toylex wrecker spotted a stolen car in Deer Park and called police.
The court heard Kulafi was 17 and part of the Sunshine Boys when he saw a friend murdered with a tomahawk to the head.
The notorious gang was once led by former gangland players Andrew “Benji” Veniamin, Dino Dibra and Paul “PK” Kallipolitis.
Veniamin, Dibra Kallipolitis were all killed during the height of the Gangland War.
Kulafi was jailed for a maximum of 56 months.
JB HI-FI BURG CREW’S HIGH SPEED GETAWAY
Thieves who scored electronics worth $224,000 from a heist at Thomastown JB Hi-Fi before making a brazen getaway through Melbourne’s northwest have been jailed.
Key players Nathan Carroll, 29, his brother Trent Wilson-Hickey, 22, and Joseph El-Khaled, 33, were all sentenced in the County Court in August 2020 after pleading guilty to burglary.
The crew drove to the Thomastown JB Hi-Fi in a stolen Toyota Prado just before 2.30am on December 12, 2019.
The burglars backed the car up to a ladder at the rear of the store, climbed up, cut a hole in the roof and jumped into the storeroom.
Two crooks spent an hour in the store collecting boxes which contained expensive electronics goods including iPads and Apple Watches.
The other crooks loaded the Prado with the boxes and drove away before returning shortly later to pack their next load of loot.
However, detectives patrolling the area stumbled onto the heist and called in the police helicopter which captured the sophisticated burglary on camera.
Police kept watch as the crew fleeced the Settlement Rd store and reloaded their stolen car.
Wilson-Hickey, who the court heard “took flight”, planted his foot on the gas and drove away when police moved in just before 4.30am.
Police deflated the tyres with road spikes but it barely slowed Wilson-Hickey.
The maniac sped through Melbourne’s northwest, sometimes driving on the wrong side of the road and running red lights, while being pursued by multiple police cars.
Crew members threw stolen items from the car into the path of pursuing police, the court heard.
The entire pursuit was captured by police helicopter.
Police called off the road pursuit at Roxburgh Park but the helicopter kept watch.
Wilson-Hickey, who also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving while pursued by police, dumped the car at a Craigieburn home.
The hoods fled on foot but were soon arrested.
Police, who recovered some of the stolen items from the rear of the Prado, returned $215,000 worth of items to JB Hi-Fi.
Carroll was jailed for a maximum 24 months with a non-parole period of 18 months.
Wilson-Hickey was jailed for a maximum 16 months with a non-parole period of 10 months.
El-Khaled was jailed for a maximum 22 months with a non-parole period of 16 months.
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