Sydney band Lepers & Crooks became the victims of a $15,000 theft over the weekend – before turning detectives themselves, solving the crime and recovering their gear.
In a story that’s almost too good to be true (except for the part about the dickhead who stole their gear), the band’s van was broken into during a tour stop in the regional New South Wales town of Bellingen on Friday night following a show at the Federal Hotel, as band spokesperson Jono Gosselin told the BRAG.
After partying with some locals and heading back to their accommodation, the band members turned away an individual who was looking to join the fun, explaining their suspicions were aroused by his claim that he’d stolen a hard drive from the earlier party.
The next morning, before departing for a show in Brisbane, the band found their vehicle had been entered and a range of equipment thieved, including six guitars, a bass, mixing gear, expensive microphones and their merch tin with more than $400 in cash. The hard drive taken from the party was left on top of the van, putting the unknown individual at the scene.
Guitarist Alex Court, who’d exchanged phone numbers with a female guest at the party, rang her to discover that partygoers had also reported the theft of two phones, an iPod and car keys. Local musician Luke Wilton remembered he’d spoken to the suspect, known only as ‘PJ’, and the subsequent search of a nearby accommodation site led to one of PJ’s friends, who convinced him the jig was up.
Though ‘PJ’ had already fled to Coffs Harbour, Lepers & Crooks were able to negotiate for the stolen gear, worth some $15,000, to be dropped off at Coffs Harbour Police Station in time for their journey to Brisbane.
