Final ‘eshay’ accused of stealing mining magnate’s luxury Maserati and posing for photos with it is found by cops after his three mates were charged
- A fourth man has been charged over alleged theft in Perth
- The group of ‘eshays’ allegedly stole a Jeep and Maserati
- The cars belong to Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill
- Three of the men allegedly posed in a photo with the Maserati
Police have charged a fourth ‘eshay’ after he and a group of mates allegedly stole two luxury cars from the home of a mining magnate, with three of them posing in a brazen photo alongside one of vehicles.
Western Australian Police on Thursday revealed a 28-year-old Aveley man was the last suspect they were searching for in relation to stealing and burglary offences which took place in the early hours of January 10 at City Beach, Perth.
The City Beach mansion and luxury vehicles – a Maserati Ghibli and a Jeep Cherokee – belong to Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill.
Ms O’Neill was appointed CEO in August 2021 after previously working with Exxon in Texas.
Police investigations discovered a photograph showing three of the accused men allegedly posing in front of the stolen Maserati on January 10
Police have accused four men of burglary and the theft of a Maserati and Jeep Cherokee from the City Beach home of Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill (pictured)
It is not known if she was at home at the time of the alleged theft.
Three men – aged 30, 27 and 24 – were initially arrested and charged with burglary and the theft of the $150,000 Maserati and the $60,000 black Jeep Cherokee, but police said they were still searching for others involved.
Police investigations at the time also discovered a photograph showing three of the accused allegedly posing in front of the Maserati.
In the photo, the men can be seen sporting clothing typical of eshay youths – designer-branded sports gear and baseball caps – with their faces clearly visible.
The latest man to be arrested will now face three stealing charges, as well as one count of stealing a motor vehicle and one count of aggravated home burglary.
He is due to appear in the Armadale Magistrates Court on January 20.
The two expensive cars have since been recovered, with the Jeep damaged in a crash in Victoria Park the day after the theft.
Police claim the driver was 30-year-old Adam Dion Prior, from Mt Lawley, who was taken to hospital following the crash.
The crash investigation led police to search two homes in Perth at Mount Lawley and Bayswater where another stolen car, an Audi, was allegedly found.
The Maserati was found abandoned on the Kwinana Freeway in Baldivis.
Ms O’Neill (pictured) was appointed CEO of Woodside Energy in August 2021 after previously working with Exxon in Texas
WA Police Force Commissioner Col Blanch on Tuesday pushed back on the eshay stereotype and insisted police were focusing on criminal activity and not what criminals wore.
‘People who choose to be criminals or commit crime, that’s what I care about,’ he told 6PR radio.
‘I don’t care what you look like, but I’m coming after you if you commit (an alleged) crime.’
Earlier this month, popular Perth venue Nightclub Bar 1 in Hillarys announced a controversial new door policy, banning red sneakers in a desperate bid to keep out revellers with a ‘bad attitude’.
Owner Malcolm Pages linked the sneakers to eshays and said they were associated with a ‘tough guy’ attitude.
Hard-core eshays have been alleged to engage in assaults, robberies and threatening behaviour, but many seem to wander in packs on the street with no obvious purpose.
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