Police say information from the public following the release of CCTV has been “instrumental” in their efforts to find those responsible for a motorbike heist at Morisset last week with a man now charged.
During the early hours of May 8, a motorsports business on Alliance Avenue, Morisset was broken into with five motorcycles, riding equipment and safety gear valued at over $50,000 stolen.
Three days later, inquiries by the Lake Macquarie Proactive Crime Team, assisted by information from previous public appeals led police to an address in Berner Avenue, Merewether.
A 40-year-old man was arrested at the scene on warrants and charged for unrelated breaking offences.
Three motorcycles were located in a search of the home, along with riding equipment and clothing reported stolen from the business at Morisset.
Continued inquiries led police to a storage shed in Gateshead leased by a 50-year-old man from the Berner Street address.
About 10:30pm on May 12, police attempted to arrest the man who fled on foot, allegedly threatening and assaulting officers.
He was eventually subdued, arrested and taken to the Belmont Police Station where he was charged with Aggravated Break, Enter and Commit Serious Indictable offence (stealing) for the theft of motorcycles and equipment from the Morisset store.
Several other items from Morisset were recovered in a search of the storage shed, along with a large amount of tools, typically used by builders and tradesman.
Subsequent inquiries identified the tools were linked to break and enters at The Junction on May 6, where a builders trailer was stolen, while others had been taken from Belmont South on March 11. The victims of those thefts were contacted, identified their items and have had them returned.
The 50-year-old Merewether man has been charged with multiple Aggravated Break and Enter offences, Goods in Custody suspected of being stolen, Assault Police and Resist Arrest.
At the time of the alleged offending he was also subject to an Intensive Corrections Order.
He has been refused bail to front Belmont Local Court on July 4.