Man accused of pocketing $ 12k

Suitcase hid missing safe

A TOWNSVILLE man, who allegedly broke into a Magnetic Island home, cut open a safe and pocketed $ 12,000 before hiding the broken safe parts in a suitcase under a bed at the house, a court has heard.

Aaron Richard Forster is accused of breaking into Kerry Peter O’Shea’s Arcadia home in March last year and cutting open the safe before fleeing with the cash.

Forster had visited the home in the weeks before the theft when Mr O’Shea’s daughter held a party.

His blood was found on a doona inside the bedroom where the safe was stored.

During the first day of the Townsville District Court trial, Forster said his blood must have stained the doona when he was at the party and knocked an existing leg injury.

“I do not know how I bumped it ( the injury), I don’t know how the blood got on the doona,” Forster said. “I didn’t do any of this and this is causing me much anxiety.”

Mr O’Shea returned to his house on March 24 to find the garage door open and the back door damaged.

He went to check his safe in the master bedroom and noticed it was missing from the cupboard and there was a red stain on the doona.

After police finished inves- tigating the theft, he returned to the house and saw a suitcase under the bed.

When he pulled it out, he found parts of the safe were stored inside.

Crown prosecutor Amanda Payne argued Forster tried to cover his tracks by removing any prints from the safe.

“Maybe he cleaned them off with the Pine- O- Cleen ( disinfectant) left out,” she said.

“Maybe he put the safe in the shower and that’s why it was wet.”

Defence barrister Vivian Keegan argued police did not adequately investigate other leads, including the homeowner’s daughter, who bought a car with cash in the days following the theft.

“The police investigation … really wasn’t much of an investigation,” she said.

“Mr Forster might be a rough diamond but he was telling the truth.”

The trial will resume in Townsville District Court this morning.

I do not know how I bumped it, I don’t know how the blood got on

the doona

ACCUSED AARON FORSTER