Concreteer Jesse Sayeg pleads guilty to bizarre break-in over baby stingray sale

An argument over the sale of a baby stingray landed the owner of a construction company in court after he broke into a Toowoomba home to confront the owner of the exotic animal and poison his tanks.

Jesse Peter Sayeg leaving Toowoomba court on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

A man previously convicted for his involvement in an illegal wildlife trafficking ring has fronted court over a bizarre and concerning row involving the sale of a baby stingray.

The owner of a Toowoomba and Sunshine Coast concreting business, Jesse Peter Sayeg, fronted Toowoomba District Court on Thursday, June 16, and pleaded guilty to forcefully breaking into a home, pretending to be armed with a gun at night, and in the company of a man armed with a knife.

Crown prosecutor Peri Cardiff said the 32-year-old man broke into a Harristown garage about 9pm on November 26, 2023, after he’d found out a deal he’d made to purchase a stingray pup had fallen through.

Jesse Peter Sayeg leaving Toowoomba court on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Ms Cardiff said that before the break-in occurred, Sayeg sent a message to a friend, saying he wanted to go into the man’s home and poison his fish tanks.

However, what occurred was much more sinister.

Ms Cardiff said Sayeg went to the man’s home and began banging on the seller’s garage door before forcing it open.

When the homeowner saw the two men, she said Sayeg lifted his shirt, revealing what looked like a gun tucked into his waistband.

Sayeg then said “it’s just a joke” before rushing the man.

Ms Cardiff said the man ran before he and his mother began using furniture to barricade the door that led into the home from the garage, while the men tried to push their way into the home.

She said the ordeal lasted for about 20 minutes and ended when the pair realised police were on their way.

Sayeg did not steal the exotic animal, and the court was told his motive was to terrorise the owner after he found out the deal he’d made for the fish had fallen through after the owner found a better deal.

Jesse Sayeg admitted to illegally importing live tortoises and turtles in Caloundra Magistrates Court in Queensland on May 30, 2025.

Barrister Doug Wilson said the born and raised Toowoomba man’s hobby of collecting exotic aquatic animals was behind him, noting he packed up and moved his family from the Darling Downs region following the incident because of his embarrassment.

He said the father-of-three accepted the stupidity of his actions, and noted Sayeg’s concreting business took a hard financial hit following his relocation to the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Wilson noted Sayeg, who was at a low risk of reoffending, had no relevant criminal history when it came to property offences, other than the recent offences which related to the attempted procurement of exotic aquatic animals.

Before the Caloundra Magistrates Court in May, Sayeg pleaded guilty to three offences related to smuggling live tortoises and turtles into Australia.

On that occasion, he was sentenced to a nine-year jail term, with release on a three-year good behaviour order with a $750 reconnaissance.

On another occasion, the court was told he was fined $5000 for breaching the Biosecurity Act.

Before the Toowoomba District Court in June 2025, he was sentenced to an 18-month jail term, to be suspended for 18 months.