Tradie's $25k 'blow' after falling victim to growing Aussie problem
Perth carpenter Finbar watched as his ute, with all his tools, were stolen from him home in a worrying trend targeting tradies.
Tradies across the country are being warned to lock up their tools and take extra precautions, even outside their homes, as targeted theft continues to threaten the livelihood of many workers.
Perth-based carpenter Finbar is the latest to have had his tools and work ute stolen, leaving him $25,000 out of pocket and potentially without the ability to work. Previously, a tradie from Melbourne told Yahoo News of the brazen heist outside his home which left him $15,000 in debt.
Shannon Powell contacted Yahoo after seeing our chat with fellow tradie Chris Wall who claimed he had $14,000 worth of tools stolen from his vehicle, also outside his home.
Ute and tools stolen two days after purchase
As for Finbar, he'd only purchased the white 4x4 Toyota HiLux two weeks ago, two days later it was stolen. According to a friend, who's attempting to help aid with the financial loss, the carpenter hadn’t yet taken out insurance on the tools or the vehicle’s canopy, which has left him short $25,000.
Finbar took to social media in a desperate bid for information. "'If anyone knows anything or might have footage please let me know," he wrote shortly after the incident.
The man claimed his car was stolen about 10pm on July 23 and CCTV cameras captured the thief making off with his ute parked in the Fremantle area. It was last spotted 30km away in Maddington that same night. It's not known if police were notified.
Friends rally around tradie after 'crushing blow'
Friends of the WA tradie have rallied around him and set up a GoFundMe page to help him get back on his feet".
"I’m hoping we can use this platform to raise some funds amongst his friends and the wider tradie community around WA who know what a good bloke he is and what a crushing blow this would be if it happened to one of us," his friend and organiser Zebedee Dwyer wrote.
"He had been working away on a rural job to save up as he’s currently studying while working as a chippy, so it won’t be easy to save the kind of money required to replace everything that has been stolen.
"The funds raised will go directly towards replacing the stolen tools and canopy while hopefully the car insurance can be cleared, and mostly cover the cost of replacing the ute."
Shocking moment tradie clings to his ute as thief drives away
Homeowner calls out 'shameless' tradie caught defecating on front lawn
Tool theft on the rise across the country
Theft of tradies' tools, while on the rise, has been a troubling issue for some years. According to the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), they're a prime target "because they’re high value and easily portable". Often it takes years to build up a collection only to lose it all in an instant.
It's a problem costing Victorian tradies alone up to $20 million a year, according to RACV. The problem is so rife a Facebook page dedicated to 'stolen tradie gear' has garnered a following of more than 16,000 followers.
with Newswire NCA
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
