Big penalty rams repeat stock thief

A BLUEWATER man who stole his neighbour’s sheep twice has been fined nearly $28,000.

Ross Anthony Sanderson, 42, pleaded guilty to two charges of unlawful use of stock and two of stock stealing 10 dorper sheep in 2018, when he appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court.

Charters Towers Major and Organised Crime Squad (Rural) officers investigated the two thefts, which occurred on May 18 and July 29.

The court heart that the owner of the sheep noticed 10 head of sheep missing in May 2018 and found them penned at Sanderson’s neighbouring rural property.

The man told police he spoke with Sanderson about ownership of the sheep, which were known to escape his property, and after a short argument the defendant told him to take them.

On July 29 the sheep went missing again but the owner was unable to locate them.

After some time he received information suggesting the sheep were at Sanderson’s property and contacted the police, who executed a warrant on the property where they found the missing sheep, some of which had since given birth to young.

Police said Sanderson had placed ear tags with his name on them on the sheep and at first claimed they belonged to him. The tags were bought online the day the sheep went missing.

But text message evidence on his phone at the time both thefts occurred showed he had taken the sheep, and included the comment there would be “lamb for dinner”. There was also video footage of the sheep being herded to Sanderson’s property, dated May 18.

Police said the $27,773 fine took into account the legislation says the fine for stealing stock is $1000 a head, unless the value of the beast is higher than that.

MOCSR detective Sergeant Mark Hogenelst said the squad took the offence of stock stealing seriously and encouraged anyone who had been the victim of stock stealing to report it to police.