Arrests after app finds car
Phone traced to alleged crime scene
THREE alleged criminals were nabbed after an Anglesea man used a phone-finder app to locate his stolen car.
Geelong Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that Tyler Oborne and two alleged accomplices were arrested on Tuesday at a home on Magpie Close, Lara, where stolen property and drugs were seized.
More than 70 allegedly stolen items were found at the home, including computer equipment, gaming consoles, power tools and jewellery.
Detective Senior Constable Alex Riches gave evidence at Mr Oborne’s bail application yesterday, saying the car stolen from Anglesea the night before was also parked in the driveway.
Its owner had left his mobile phone in the car and used the app to track it to Lara, where he saw the accused allegedly burgle a different house on Magpie Close.
Sen-Constable Riches said it was believed the duo were trying to exchange stolen property for drugs with Mr Oborne when police raided.
He said police believed they found quantities of ice and cannabis at the home, and a bottle containing more than 400g of a liquid understood to be GHB. He said that amounted to more than 15 times the trafficable quantity.
The court heard Mr Oborne already had trafficking charges pending against him after a police raid on the Magpie Close home in May uncovered 81g of crystal meth.
He was on bail because of those allegations when arrested this week but was not supposed to be living at the Magpie Close home, which belongs to his mother.
It is the same house he allegedly fled to in March after crashing a car into two parked vehicles and the front yard of a home on Plantation Rd, Corio.
The bail conditions required Mr Oborne to live with his grandparents on Flinders Ave, Lara. But Sen-Constable Riches said he believed the man was still living at Magpie Close, and would continue reoffending if granted bail again.
“My concerns are that he would continue to traffic drugs, GHB and ice,” the officer said. “He associates with people that will commit further burglaries and thefts to exchange for his drugs.”
Mr Oborne, a 34-year-old father of two, made his own application for bail, and was given a glimmer of hope by magistrate John Lesser.
The magistrate adjourned the application until tomorrow, telling Mr Oborne to have his grandparents at court and asking he be assessed for a support program.
“I’m not convinced at the moment ... you’re in a very different position (to your last bail application) because you didn’t take the opportunity to get something (rehabilitation) started,” Mr Lesser said.
“You’ve got to convince me you’re fair dinkum.”