Underbool sheep duffing victim calls for cop stock squad return
AN EXHAUSTIVE seven-month investigation by a one-man police station copper, which led to a conviction and fine for a sheep and wool duffer, was a bittersweet outcome for Underbool victim Kieran Hayter.
AN EXHAUSTIVE seven-month investigation by a one-man police station copper, which led to a conviction and fine for a sheep and wool duffer, was a bittersweet outcome for Underbool victim Kieran Hayter.
The livestock and grain farmer had sheep and wool stolen by a neighbouring farmer and said while he was pleased it resulted in a conviction, the ordeal was “very stressful”, exacerbated by a lengthy investigation and cost him many thousands of dollars.
Cowangie man Bernard David Boseley was convicted and fined $12,500 in the Mildura Magistrates’ Court in April, after pleading guilty to stealing ewes and fleeces.
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The investigation enlisted the help of other local farmers, stock agents and shearers, who provided their expertise to police.
While Mr Hayter praised the tenacity of investigator, leading senior constable Chris Vorwerk — whose work was recognised with a Victoria Police award — Mr Hayter called for the state government to better-resource rural police and bring back the stock squad.
“Police need more resources to properly investigate these crimes, like they have in NSW” Mr Hayter said.
Boseley was initially charged with stealing more than 160 sheep, lambs and fleeces, but pleaded guilty after police downgraded charges to avert a lengthy contested hearing.
Constable Vorwerk, who was based at Underbool, said Mr Hayter had ewes and lambs go missing in October 2016, suspected stolen.
After searching for them, two and half months later, part of the missing mob showed up on another neighbouring property, along with one of Boseley’s sheep.
“They were all shorn, several weeks off shears, and all but two had had their ear tags cut out,” Constable Vorwerk said.
Two weeks later, police executed a search warrant on Boseley’s property, recovering a further 16 ewes.
“They too had all been shorn at the same time and all had ear tags cut out,” he said, adding that as the investigation took numerous difficult turns, he kept reminding himself the “sheep didn’t cut their own ear tags out” and “didn’t shear themselves”.
“The inevitable conclusion was the sheep had been stolen, the thief assumed rights of the owner and altered (appearance of the sheep) so they couldn’t be easily identified.”
Constable Vorwerk believed the stolen sheep only escaped Boseley’s property due to poor fencing.
“When the recovered sheep commenced lambing in February last year, with the five month gestation period corresponding with the time the ewes were in the thief’s possession, I concluded the thief had retained the ewes to breed as his own and to further profit from same,” Constable Vorwerk said.
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Because Boseley did not admit to the theft when first interviewed other potential suspects had to be eliminated, which included other graziers in the region, as well as other possible explanations for how and why the sheep and fleeces were in Boseley’s possession.
This involved signed statements from shearers about when they had shorn at Boseley’s, enabling police to match the time off-shears with the recovered sheep.
“This was the time consuming part.” Constable Vorwerk said.
Given the complexities of the investigation, he has now backed calls for a stock squad.
“My personal opinion is Victoria would be well served by a dedicated stock theft squad,” Constable Vorwerk said.
There was much farmers could learn too. “Most of all, report theft to police,” he said.
He urged maintenance of fencing, locked gates, diligently recordkeeping and notation of unusual vehicles.
“Regularly check stock numbers and if there appear to be any irregularities, conduct headcounts,” he said.
“I personally encourage use of signage and CCTV, as well as motion-activated scout cameras.”
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