THIEVES STEAL STAFF’S TIPS MONEY
TWO thieves who broke into a Gold Coast bowls club on Tuesday morning have taken $3000 in tip money, leaving just minutes before staff arrived for the day.
Two men entered the Paradise Point Bowls Club around 5.50am, trying multiple entry points before finally breaking a window to get inside.
They then ransacked drawers, stole around $3000 in cash and a laptop, then fled the scene – staff discovered the break-in when they arrived 10 minutes later at 6am.
Club manager Daniel Hearn said he believed the crime – captured clearly on CCTV – was “opportunistic”.
“It doesn’t look like it was well thought out at all but when they got inside they started destroying tills and cupboards, just looking for any cash they could find,” he said.
“We actually got the first phone call (about the break in) at about 5.53 and then staff were on site at 5.59. So there was about a minute gap between staff walking in and these guys being inside.
“It was the staff tip money taken, they took the whole thing with them.”
But, he said, the culprits did appear to have a conscience.
“We had a Beanies for Brain Cancer tin on top of the bar and you can clearly see one of them walk around, go to grab it, read the label and walk off,” he said.
“So there must be some kind of conscience behind that hard exterior.”
Police are now investigating the incident. The Bulletin has reached out to Queensland Police for an update.
Video footage shows the men making their way through the club. At one point one man removes a key from a KENO drawer, only to try and put it back in.
When he’s unable to get the key to work, he attempts to break open the till.
Broadwater MP David Crisafulli said he wanted to see more policing and tougher youth justice laws to protect community clubs.
“It’s heartbreaking, the club has been through a really tough period where they’ve scrimped and saved to keep the club afloat,” he said.
“The most devastating thing is not just the damage, not just the violation, but that a big chunk of the money has come from the tip drawer.
“To walk in and see that gone, these people are taking from those who have done it really, really tough.”