pic to come tuesday arvo
By Shaun Inguanzo
A POLICE raid in Mulgrave has rescued Greater Dandenong’s Australia Day barbecue from uncertainty.
Glen Waverley Police searched the Mulgrave house on 23 December and stumbled upon a trailer belonging to the Noble Park-Keysborough Lions Club, which contained essential barbecue gear.
Star reported in November that the Lions volunteers were distraught after their custom trailer containing a large marquee and other barbecue equipment was stolen from its compound just weeks before Christmas.
Lions Club members tipped the theft would spoil pre-Christmas and Australia Day celebrations at which the club was to appear at unless it could find replacement equipment.
But this week Noble Park-Keysborough Lions Club was toasting the return of its trailer – albeit damaged – along with the marquee.
Senior Constable Ian Huxtable told Star that on the afternoon of 23 December police conducting vehicle registration checks detected a car believed to be stolen.
He said police followed the driver and conducted checks on three trailers near the front of the Mulgrave property, with all reported stolen.
Sen Const Huxtable said a search warrant was issued, and police located the trailer belonging to the Lions Club.
A 28-year-old Mulgrave man was remanded in custody and later bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 24 January on charges of burglary, theft, handling stolen goods, possessing proceeds of a crime and cultivating a narcotic plant.
Police phoned Noble Park-Keysborough Lions Club member David Poole on Christmas Eve with the good news, and Mr Poole collected the damaged trailer.
“There are broken locks, and damage to the paint work,” he said.
“It looks like someone has removed our logos with paint thinners.
“A little bit of property was still in there, and we got our big marquee back.
“But six of the marquee’s side curtains worth $90 each are missing.”
The club ordered another marquee soon after the theft in November, and Mr Poole anticipates it will now have two marquees to choose from for Australia Day celebrations at Dandenong Park.
Mr Poole said the find meant Greater Dandenong residents could now enjoy another Australia Day barbecue courtesy of Noble Park-Keysborough Lions Club.
