CCTV captures man using pool at stranger’s New Farm home

A man captured on CCTV sneaking into a Brisbane family’s swimming pool has come forward in a bizarre interview saying he thought it was a display home.

A man who was caught sneaking into a swimming pool at a Brisbane family home says “there was nothing he could have done about it” as they didn’t have an outdoor shower.

Footage posted to social media shows the man casing the property before taking his shoes off and entering the pool on Refinery Pde at New Farm.

Police have since cautioned the man after he was caught on CCTV sneaking into the pool multiple times over the past three months.

Holly Stevens from New Farm said her cameras had caught the man almost half a dozen times.

He is seen dipping his head in the pool before stretching.

Two days after the footage was released, the man came forward and told Channel 7 he used the pool because he thought the property was vacant.

“To me, it looked like a display home,” he said.

“I didn’t think anyone lived there.”

The man, named as Matt, gave a bizarre interview with Channel 7 after being cautioned by police.

The man, named as “Matt”, says he now feels bad and has one regret about swimming sweaty and after a run.

“They didn’t have an outdoor shower so there was nothing I could have done about it,” he said.

“I had to make the most of it and jump in how I was. Lucky, I wasn’t nude or anything like that.

“I was just hot and I saw the pool and I saw the pool and I just thought I would go for a swim.

“That is about it.”

Matt said he had no idea someone lived inside the house and thought it was a display home.

“I had no idea. It was immaculate. When I looked inside I thought, “This house is beautiful.” … it is a stunning house,” he said.

CCTV footage shows random man in stranger's pool at New Farm.

Ms Stevens had earlier taken to social media to express her growing concerns and report that the man “repeatedly trespassing on our property in New Farm – using our pool and breaking in through the front entrance”.

“This has happened multiple times and is becoming increasingly concerning,” she said.

“Police have been notified but can’t act unless it happens again. if you know this man or have seen him around the area, please report.”

Ms Stevens said they installed CCTV after the second time.

A family says their CCTV has captured a man sneaking on to their property to use their pool several times this year.

CCTV footage shows random man in stranger's pool at New Farm.

“So now we can see pretty clearly when he accesses the property, but yeah, before that, we, it’s likely that he could have entered and we just wouldn’t have known,” she said, adding the entire situation was “bizarre”.

“He’s like, sweaty, has sneakers on, and he’s running, and then he’s stretching in the pool after a run, which is honestly very gross, because it’s just like this guy that we don’t know,” she said.

After the footage went viral online, Matt said he was bombarded by friends and people he knew asking what he was doing.

“Mate, it was a bit overwhelming,” he said.

“I didn’t sleep that night. I thought – quickly, it went viral.

“I made the mistake of reading the comments because I thought I was in big trouble. People were calling for many to be arrested and put in jail. So I sort of freaked out.”

He took legal advice and they said it was best he turned himself in but was just given a caution by police.

He has also tried reaching out to the owners.

“I tried making contact. They don’t want to talk to me, which is understandable,” he said.

“I want to apologise and say I am sorry for swimming in your pool and hopefully we can put this behind us and go for a swim somewhere or, I don’t know, go for a drink.”

Originally published as CCTV captures man using pool at stranger’s New Farm home