A burglar could be Australia's dumbest crook after leaving a trail of extraordinary clues along his crime spree route. Within an hour of being charged and bailed over other break-ins, Bendigo man Andrew Bawden, 36, was back in business, busting into cars and houses and robbing offices and a cathedral.
But his one-man crime wave came unstuck when he dropped his police charge sheet at one crime scene. Two hours later he dropped the DVD of his police interview at another.
"You get crooks sometimes who leave one thing that's stupid. Both things are extraordinary," Bendigo police Sgt Brendon Murphy said. "From the police perspective it's quite good. We appreciate people who leave this evidence for us." But Sgt Murphy said it was important to remember the trauma faced by Bawden's victims before ineptitude ended the spree. "We're just thankful this numbskull's been nipped in the bud," he said.
The extensive charge sheet - 24 various offences - was found beside a laundry hamper. Police think Bawden dropped it in a panicked attempt to climb out a window after being disturbed in mid-burglary. The DVD was discovered beside broken louvres from a break and enter attempt.
"The people thought - 'What's a DVD police interview doing on the ground here'?" Sgt Murphy said. "It's a small plastic case and a disc with writing on it. It clearly identifies who it is and that it's a police interview."
Bawden, of Golden Square, pleaded guilty to about 30 counts. He was remanded in custody for sentence on March 31.
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