Andrew Bogut backs Bec Judd’s crime fears in affluent Melbourne council area

First it was Bec Judd. Now, a former NBA star is speaking out about “rampant crime” in an affluent Melbourne area.

Former Australian NBA player Andrew Bogut has echoed media personality Bec Judd’s fears over rampant crime in the affluent Melbourne council area of Bayside.

Mr Bogut said residents were “sitting ducks in their own homes” while taking to Twitter to express his frustrations over the weekend.

He said one Bayside street where his family members lived had been hit six times in the last few months with home invasions.

“One old fella had a gun pulled on him recently,” he said.

“The police who attended my families home said this is pretty common in area.

“When asked what that could do to take more caution the officer said ‘buy a dog’.

“How much is enough? Will it take a murder to put these scumbags away for an extended period?”

Andrew Bogut has spoken out about crime in Bayside following on from Bec Judd last year. Picture: Adam Yip

1) Remember when @becjuddloves got smashed for saying crime in Bayside,Victoria was rampant?

Family members @BaysideCouncil street has been hit 6 times in the last few months.
Home invasions w groups of 5ppl.
Yes, ONE street.

One old fella had a gun pulled on him recently.

— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) January 21, 2023

The Bayside council area includes the Melbourne suburbs of Beaumaris, Black Rock, Brighton, Brighton East, Hampton, Hampton East, Sandringham, and parts of Cheltenham and Highett.

Mr Bogut had started his Twitter thread by reminding people about the time Ms Judd “got smashed” for speaking out about crime in the area and criticising the Victorian Government.

In May last year, Ms Judd, who lives in Brighton with former AFL star Chris Judd and their four children, said she felt “unsafe” in her own home after a spate of “rapes, bashings and home invasions”.

Chris and Rebecca Judd live in a $7.3 million mansion in Brighton. Picture: Supplied

“I personally know 2 women who have experienced home invasions in Brighton in the last few weeks while they were at home,” Ms Judd wrote on Instagram.

She said the state government “don’t seem to care”.

Premier Daniel Andrews hit back, saying the data “told a different story” to the picture being painted of the suburb.

However, police data released months later for the 12 months to June 2022 revealed aggravated burglaries had increased in Brighton.

There were 120 residential aggravated burglaries recorded, compared to 88 the year before.

A Victoria Police spokesman said Bayside was still an overwhelmingly safe place to live, ranking 24th when it came burglaries by council area.

He said the increase in aggravated burglaries was consistent with statewide trends.

Ms Judd copped backlash for complaining about safety in the affluent suburb, where she bought a $7.3 million mansion in 2019 and then began renovations.

Mr Bogut sold his Beaumaris property, listed between $11 million and $12 million, for an undisclosed amount in 2021.

He bought the property for $4.7 million in 2015 and then adjoining land to build his dream home but had a long-running battle with council over the plans.

The plans were approved by VCAT but the former Aussie Boomer told the Herald Sun the main reason he was selling the property was privacy concerns as his address was made public.