August 30th 2024.
A man named Matthew Newbould has recently admitted to making a foolish mistake in stealing a gorilla statue from a retirement village. According to reports, Newbould pleaded guilty to the theft of the 20kg garden ornament, named Garry, from a retirement village in St Helena, located in the north-east of Melbourne on June 6th.
The Heidelberg Magistrates Court heard that Newbould, who is 33 years old, had gone to the Leith Park village with a friend to purchase a chest of drawers. As they were browsing, Newbould spotted the statue perched on some tree stumps. Without thinking much of it, he grabbed the statue and placed it onto the back of a ute that he had rented from Bunnings. He then drove away with the stolen statue.
However, Newbould's criminal act did not go unnoticed. A member of the public spotted the gorilla in the back of the vehicle and took a photo before notifying the authorities. As a result, Newbould was arrested on July 5th. During the investigation, police discovered text messages on his phone where he bragged to his friends about the theft, stating "LOL I stole a gorilla, so what?"
In addition to the theft, it was also revealed that Newbould had been driving without a license at the time of the crime. His license had been revoked in July of the previous year. His lawyer, Rebecca Elder, acknowledged that Newbould's actions were impulsive and opportunistic. She also stated that he had no intentions of selling the stolen statue.
Newbould himself admitted to his poor decision-making, telling Magistrate Michael Wighton that it was a "very silly" mistake. Elder requested for her client to be given a fine or a community work order, as they were both appropriate punishments for his crime. However, Wighton disagreed, citing the seriousness of the theft and Newbould's unlicensed driving.
As a result, Newbould was ordered to undergo a community corrections order assessment before his sentencing hearing in September. Wighton also gave him some words of advice, urging him to "keep working on staying out of trouble." Newbould's bail was extended until his next court date.
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