Boxer tracks down thief who fleeced him
THIEF PICKS WRONG TARGET
‘I told him we can do this the easy way or the hard way, I’m taking you to the cop shop’
A GEELONG Muay Thai fighter has taken justice into his own hands, tracking down a thief who robbed his bank account and taking him to a police station to hand him over.
Johnny Bourke (pictured), who owns a string of businesses, including Juice Syndicate and Elite Training Centre, has been involved in three citizen arrests in recent years making graffiti vandals and thieves accountable for their actions. He said, thanks to social media and a widereaching social network, it was easier than ever to identify offenders.
“I own several businesses and stupidly left one credit card in the centre console of my car in the driveway on New Year’s night in Grovedale,” he said.
“I woke up the next day and it wasn’t until I checked my online bank account that I saw a heap of money was missing. It was small amounts initially from a milk bar and IGA, like pies and chips and drinks, and I thought, ‘ Gee, how drunk was I last night?’ but soon realised large amounts were spent on online shopping.
“I stock my juice at the stores and know the owners so I went down and matched the amounts to receipts to get a time and subsequent CCTV footage.”
Mr Bourke confronted the alleged thief when the young male returned to the milk bar. “I’m a professional kick boxer and said, ‘ We can do this the easy way or the hard way, I’m taking you to the cop shop’,” Mr Bourke said.
“He just asked if he could call his dad.”
In October the Geelong Advertiser revealed more young people were being arrested across Greater Geelong than any other age group. Crime Statistics Agency statistics showed 1442 teens aged 15 to 19 were nabbed by police during the 2016/17 financial year.
The local trend was unlike the rest of Victoria. Statewide the 15 to 19 age group ranked fourth highest, with the vast majority of criminals arrested aged 25 to 29.
“Everyone always jokes that my life is like a cartoon, but I’ve got other mates who own Geelong businesses and they’re forever getting vandalised and broken into, it just seems to be normal now,” Mr Bourke said.
“It’s frustrating but I really do sympathise with the cops, they’re so under-resourced and even when they do the right thing the courts bail those responsible instantly.”
Waurn Ponds police said the alleged offender had been interviewed.