Mark Anthony Coward pleads guilty to a break and enter at Glencore’s Liddell Coal mine site

It was a week before Christmas when three thieves - including a Singleton man - raided a Hunter coal mine site making off with a haul of goods including something very bizarre.

Three thirsty thieves have cased a Hunter mine site before coming back in a late night raid to steal a company car, keys, tools and strangely a box of long-life milk.

A week before Christmas last year, Mark Anthony Coward from Singleton and two unknown co-offenders were caught driving into Glencore’s Liddell coal mine site, off the New England Highway at Ravensworth, at around 7.30pm.

All captured on CCTV, the group - with their faces covered - started looking around before then leaving at about 8pm.

Police facts said the trio then returned nearly two hours later before breaking into the administration building through the dispatch office window.

Court documents revealed one of the group rolled a large tyre across a compound and under a fence and later used a forklift to put a large fuel pod on the back of their vehicle.

After midnight they were also captured driving through the gates of the compound before they loaded tyres onto the vehicle’s tray and into the backseat.

Entrance to Liddell Coal Mine site at Ravensworth. Google Maps

Police facts said their break in was first discovered by a security guard who arrived just after 1am and found the gates “totally destroyed”.

CCTV footage would later reveal two utes - including a Toyota Landcruiser stolen from the mine site - driving straight through the gates fully loaded.

The administration building was also a mess, with keys sprawled across the floor, a computer monitor knocked over and cupboards and drawers rummaged through.

The list of things stolen included a safe, keys, first aid kit, hand tools, tyres, fuel pumps, 1000 litres of fuel, two crib hut air conditioners and a solar panel.

The three thieves also made off with a box of Devondale 1L bottles of long life milk, according to police facts.

But it didn’t take police long into their investigation before officers raided a Wentworth Av address in Singleton on December 20 and arrested Coward.

They seized clothing and a number of items relating to the break and enter including the box of milk.

In Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday Coward pleaded guilty to goods suspected stolen, aggravated break and enter in company steal, take and drive conveyance without consent and larceny while three other charges were dropped.

A sentencing assessment report was ordered by Magistrate Ian Cheetham with the 53-year-old to head to Singleton Local Court in November to be sentenced.

Originally published as Mark Anthony Coward pleads guilty to a break and enter at Glencore’s Liddell Coal mine site