Toowoomba copper wire thief threatens business owner with chainsaw

A Toowoomba copper wire thief threatened to chop up a business owner with a chainsaw when he was caught stealing red-handed, a court has heard.

Picture: Google Maps and File

A Toowoomba thief who threatened a businessman with a chainsaw and a knife when he was cornered on their property, has been released from jail after spending 211 days in custody.

A court heard the 34-year-old man, Gareth Radel, targeted a number of Toowoomba region businesses during an “intense period of offending” between November and December 2023, where he stole more than $7000 of copper wire and took out an Optus tower causing $20,000 in damages.

The father pleaded guilty to nine charges before the Toowoomba Magistrates court on Tuesday, July 2, which included threatening violence, breaking and entering to commit a crime, wilful damage, and the unlawful use of a vehicle.

Police prosecutor Nicholas Pratt said the property offences were serious, as was the violent incident on November 21, 2023, at a Brothers Wagners business along Alderley Street.

Wagners Concrete, Alderley Street, Harristown. Picture: Google maps

Radel was cutting a hole in a fence along Greenwattle St when he was approached by an employee and asked “what are you doing”, the court heard.

He lied and said he was spooling wire to help the Wagners, which prompted the employee to call Joe and Josh Wagner, who quickly arrived on scene and trapped Radel’s car with their own.

When the three men accused Radel of stealing, he denied it and said even if he had, they could just claim it back through insurance.

A heated argument ensued and Radel said, “I will get my chainsaw and chop you in f-king pieces,”.

When the Wagners and their employee walked back to their cars and called the police, an “irate” Radel pulled a chainsaw from the back of his ute and began revving it.

Exterior of Toowoomba Courthouse.

After trying and failing to leave in his ute, Radel armed himself with a 25cm knife and tapped it on the Wagner’s window while motioning for them to move their car.

Radel then took off on foot and was soon arrested on Greenwattle St.

He was granted watch-house bail and given a notice to appear in court.

A few weeks later he and a co-offender targeted Ventia at Cambooya and an energy substation at Greenmount.

The court heard Radel cut power to the Ventia building before breaking in and stealing a generator and spool of copper wire worth about $8000 which he loaded into a stolen box trailer.

During the break-in, Radel cut a phone line causing more than $22,000 to a telecommunications tower.

The court hear copper wire was a form of currency for addicts.

The court heard police arrested Radel with his loot, soon after he left the Greenmount business with 250m of copper wire, telescopic poles, tools, and a water pump.

The tree lopper was arrested and his bail was refused.

Solicitor Nikola Prince said Radel’s offending was driven by a methamphetamine relapse, noting he hadn’t committed an offence over the past decade after getting clean, marrying, and having his first child.

She said the violent outburst was out of character, and although it was not an excuse, Radel felt threatened when he was confronted and boxed in by the group of men and reacted defensively.

Radel was sentenced to a 12 month jail term, and he was released on parole after the 211 days he spent in pre-sentence custody was declared time served.