A Thorneside man is facing 30 charges over a string of alleged copper thefts from an Anton Road property in Hemmant, with police alleging the incidents played out across nearly nine months last year and into 2026.
Queensland Police say the 50-year-old allegedly entered the site without authorisation on seven separate occasions between 8 September 2025 and 8 June 2026, each time making off with copper wiring. The stolen material was then allegedly sold to a separate business — a detail that forms the basis of several fraud-related charges against him.
The full charge sheet is a weighty one: ten counts of entering premises to commit an indictable offence, six counts of fraud relating to refunds for stolen goods, and five counts of stealing. He has been remanded in custody and is due before the Cleveland Magistrates Court on 2 July 2026.
The case comes as copper theft continues to be a persistent problem across Queensland. Queensland Police have recorded around 200 copper theft cases since early 2025, a figure that prompted the state government to act. Legislation tabled in Parliament earlier this year proposes tighter controls on the scrap-metal trade, including mandatory dealer registration and a ban on cash transactions to prevent anonymous sales.
Under the proposed laws, two new offences would be created — one for attempting to steal metal and another for possessing metal reasonably suspected to be stolen — and all transactions involving scrap metal would need to be recorded in a register, with dealers required to ask for photo ID.
The push for reform has been backed by local governments grappling with the financial toll of repeated theft. Moreton Bay City Council Mayor Peter Flannery has described copper theft as a “criminal scourge” that has repeatedly plunged streets and sporting clubs into darkness, with millions of dollars in ratepayer funds spent on repairs.
Anyone with information about suspicious activity can contact Policelink via the online form at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting, available around the clock. To report anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
Published 1-July-2026
