Beat Luedi jailed for fake chemical attack at Frankston Westpac Bank
A Frankston man who didn’t want to tell his wife he lost money on a failed investment instead devised an elaborate bank heist. But it didn’t go as he planned.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Frankston man faked a chemical attack to rob a bank because he thought it would be easier than lying to his wife.
Beat Luedi, 67, was sentenced in the County Court on June 25 to a minimum of 18 months after he pleaded guilty to extortion with a threat to kill.
Luedi planned to steal $20,000 from Frankston Westpac in Wells St after he blew $6000 of his friends’ cash on Dick Smith Electronics shares — three days before the company went bust.
For several years Luedi lied to his friends and wife about the success of the investment before eventually deciding to rob a bank to get the cash back.
On May 1, 2018 — after three days of planning — Luedi went into the bank dressed in overalls, a mask and gloves and armed with a spray bottle full of water and a demand letter.
Luedi sprayed water in the air and attempted to hand the letter to a security guard.
“Take this, you’ll be dead in three minutes,” Luedi said.
The security guard refused to take the letter so Luedi shouted loudly that he had “pesticide”.
“You all have three minutes or you’re all going to die,” he said.
MORE WOMAN'S HANDBAG AND CAR STOLEN WHILE SHE WAS SWIMMING
FRANKSTON MUM FENDS OFF CARJACKER THUGS IN FRONT OF SON
FROM TOP DIPLOMAT TO VILE ONLINE SEX FIEND
Luedi dropped the letter and waited outside the bank while the manager began to evacuate the building.
The letter stated: “you have three minutes, put $20,000 in the bag, 100s, 50s, 20s, no bundles of $100 notes, get started, bring bag to front door and then lock down branch, airborne pathogen, you are all infected, no traces of dye in bag, will ring in 90 minutes with antidote, nobody enters without biohazard suit please”.
It took a few minutes for Luedi to realise he wasn’t getting any money so he ran back to an undercover carpark.
His plan became even more unstuck when he was photographed by witnesses.
“You have taken photos of me so I guess there’s no point (running away),” Luedi said before he sat on the ground and waited for police.
Luedi was arrested and told police he planned the robbery because he didn't want upset his wife.
“The big problem was I thought it was easier to rob a bank than tell my wife (I had lost the money),” he said.
“I did not want to look like a fool.”
An officer replied: “How scary is your wife?”
“She’s not (scary) but she doesn’t like lying,” Luedi said.
“You might have to sleep on the couch a couple of nights but I think it’s worse to rob a bank,” the officer said.
Judge Scott Johns said Luedi’s “bizarre offending” was a “serious example” of extortion.
“You planned with great care a terrifying assault on a bank where several customers and employees were likely to be,” he said.
“In order to work your plan needed to be implemented with a resolve of considerable fear and indeed terror.
“(I can’t) understand why a bank robber would wait outside while he asked staff to bring him the money.
“(It was) absurd, illogical and ludicrous.”
Judge Johns accepted Luedi was highly intelligent but a recent autism diagnosis would make his time in jail “much harsher”.
Judge Johns also took into account Luedi’s low risk of reoffending, his age and his health.
Luedi was sentenced to 42 months in prison with a minimum of 18 months.