Police patrol Spending spree curtailed THIEVES used a Patterson Lakes woman’s credit card four times after rifling through her car, overnight, Wednesday 2 March. The woman had left her handbag in her car inside a locked garage in Palm Beach Dr. The Westpac card was used three times at Woolworth’s Ashwood and once at Kmart Burwood for purchases totalling $227. The card was then stopped by the bank, which prevented the thieves using it for three more declined transactions totalling $240. Anyone with information should call Chelsea police, 8773 3200.
Garage entry Looking forward: Liberal opposition leader Matthew Guy does not believe the theft of $1.5 million from party coffers affected the 2014 state election result. Picture: Gary Sissons
Election ‘not stolen’ from Libs Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au THE THEFT of about $1.5 million in Liberal Party funds by former state director Damien Mantach did not alter the outcome of the 2014 state election according to opposition leader Matthew Guy. Mr Mantach pleaded guilty last month to a total of 44 charges related to the false printing of invoices and fraudulent expenses billed to the Liberal Party of Victoria over four-and-ahalf years for personal gain. He used the ill-gotten gains to buy a
car, shares, a cafe and to make mortgage repayments on his Ocean Grove home. The party was overcharged for printing and Mr Mantach pocketed the difference. Mr Guy told The Times there had been nothing to indicate that pre-election mail outs had not been posted out to voters in marginal seats such as Frankston, Carrum and Mordialloc won by Labor candidates from Liberal incumbents at the 2014 poll. “I don’t think it would have made a difference to the election result overall,” Mr Guy said when asked about the confirmed theft when he visited
Edithvale train station last month. “But as you can imagine the party, particularly our rank and file and supporters, are furious about it.” The Liberal Party realised money was missing during an audit carried out in August last year. Mr Mantach was the party’s state director, tasked with running the Liberals’ election campaign, from 2011 until he resigned in March last year. Auditors recovered $466,713 from Mr Mantach. Mr Mantach, who has been in jail since November last year, will face court again in May.
BURGLARS entered a Banjo Cct, Bonbeach, house, possibly through an unlocked garage, and stole a woman’s black cardigan and handbag, Thursday 3 March. The bag contained four credit cards, driving licence and a quantity of cash. Her husband’s mobile phone and garage remote control were also stolen. The victims, who were upstairs asleep at the time of the robbery, tried using a find-my-phone app but it is ineffective when the phone is switched off. Chelsea police said thieves stole items from several cars in the street earlier in the week. Anyone with information should call Chelsea police, 8773 3200.
Rude awakening A WOMAN awoke to find the garage attached to her house in Francis St, Mordialloc, engulfed in flames, 6am, Wednesday 2 March. She evacuated and called the fire brigade which ar-
rived quickly but the fire had spread into the roof which fell in at the front of the house. The fire is being treated as accidental, with investigators blaming the spontaneous combustion of a towel containing linseed oil and turps sitting up against a plaster wall.
Passing by A PARKDALE woman returning home saw a man and a woman carrying bags out her driveway. Thinking they were going door-to-door the woman parked her car and then realised her front door was open. The offenders ran off along Eighth St, while the woman rang her son and police. They believe the thieves used a ladder to climb up and jemmy open a bathroom window, breaking the chain off the window frame. The offenders stole a probationary licence from the son’s bedroom, three laptops and an iPad from a study, and jewellery and perfume from the main bedroom. They left via the front door where they were spotted by the victim. Anyone with information should call Mordialloc police, 9588 2988.
Look here POLICE conducting a random vehicle search in Nepean Hwy, Chelsea, allegedly found an unlicensed Frankston man, 19, driving an unregistered car containing drugs of dependence, just after midnight, Wednesday 2 March. In addition, the man was allegedly in breach of his bail curfew conditions. A consensual search revealed drug paraphernalia and drugs of dependence. The man was bailed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court, 28 April.
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