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Lawyers for four men, who admitted stealing "gold dust" during a midnight raid at a mine site in Western Australia's Goldfields, have described their clients' bungled heist as an "unsophisticated attempt" and a "stupid idea".
Key points:
- Four men have pleaded guilty to stealing 'gold dust' from a Kalgoorlie mine site
- Police arrested the group at the Jubilee mill on March 11 with ore they had collected in sandbags
- The men appeared separately in court and were each fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to stealing and trespassing charges
Aaron Janus Morgan and Nils Boomsma, both 44, Martin John Scott, 43, and Robert Allan Edwards, 34, each pleaded guilty to trespass and stealing offences when they faced the Kalgoorlie Magistrate's Court on Monday.
The court heard the group were captured by security cameras at the Jubilee mill, 35 kilometres south-east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, on March 11.
Jubilee is owned by gold miner Northern Star Resources and had operated continuously from 1987 until the processing plant was placed on care and maintenance in August last year.
It has become a target for thieves since being mothballed, with the Australian dollar gold price hitting record highs this year above $3,000 an ounce.
The court heard the men walked onto the mine site "armed with tools", after parking their car on a nearby dirt road.
The alarm was triggered at 10:59pm when they were picked up by CCTV cameras.
The court was told they collected the material, described as "gold dust" by the prosecutor, from an "ore tumbler" and stored it in sandbags which they were carrying in backpacks.
Police arrested the men at 12:10am after they were spotted hiding on scaffolding.
'Bound to be caught'
Laboratory analysis determined the value of the gold contained in the ore stolen by the men was worth less than $1,000.
Edwards' lawyer, Ashley Watson, told the court it was an "unsophisticated attempt" at stealing.
"My client has lost his job over the incident … and he's worried about future employment in the mining industry," he said.
The other three men were represented by Legal Aid WA lawyer Pamela Oram, who agreed it was an "unsophisticated attempt".
She said it was a "stupid idea" and one which her clients "regret deeply".
The court heard Boomsma works as a "senior technical officer" for a tyre shop, while Scott is a father of two who is employed as a concreter.
Morgan works as a blacksmith and is a father of five.
Magistrate Matthew Holgate told the group the level of security at the mine site meant they were "bound to be caught".
The men were each fined $1,000 and the stolen ore was returned to Northern Star Resources.
Separate case delayed
Meanwhile, an unrelated case before the courts of alleged gold stealing from the same mine site continues to be delayed as the prosecution and defence lawyers await laboratory analysis to determine the value of the material that was allegedly stolen.
David Andrew Neve, 54, and 47-year-old Paul Neve, allegedly stole 9kg of gold-bearing ore from Jubilee mill on March 14.
They are both yet to enter pleas to charges of stealing and trespass and were granted bail until their next court appearance on July 24.