William Milton Hafemeister appears in court for stealing cash from friend’s wallet in haunted Wondai hotel

An elderly man’s opportunistic theft of cash from a friend’s wallet in a supposedly paranormal infested hotel was foiled by a very normal invention.

An elderly Chinchilla man found himself in front of a magistrate after a tour of a haunted hotel end with him stealing more than $300 from his former friend’s wallet.

William Milton Hafemeister was staying at the pub on July 12 when he carried out the “opportunistic” theft.

Police Prosecutor Barry Stevens told Murgon Magistrates Court it was a “well-known fact that the hotel is haunted”, and because of this accommodation on the upper floor is open-plan to allow guests to walk between rooms.

At about 8pm the victim changed clothes in his room and left his wallet, with Hafemeister swooping in to help himself to $300.

The Wondai Hotel, which is claimed to be haunted.

When the victim discovered the cash missing he checked CCTV and alerted the police, who then executed searched Hafemeister.

The 74-year-old claimed to not know why he took the cash, saying he was drunk and later handing over the money to police.

Solicitor Tom Carr described the crime as “opportunistic” and said his client didn’t know it was his former friend’s.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair appeared to be intrigued by the claims of the haunting in the hotel.

“I’ll have to go and check out the ghosts – I’ve seen ghosts in a couple of pubs. I even have a photograph of one,” Mr Sinclair said.

“I should explain I’m not crazy – I was in a hotel that was alleged to be haunted and was taking a picture and a person walked into frame at that precise moment, and with the sun behind him, he looks like a ghost,” he said.

Hafemeister was fined $200 and no conviction was recorded.

Originally published as William Milton Hafemeister appears in court for stealing cash from friend’s wallet in haunted Wondai hotel