A one-legged man has allegedly been caught in the act of raiding a Wollongong community’s letterboxes from his wheelchair.
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Confronted by police, Neville Peter Bauer, 37, allegedly hopped towards a garbage bin to dispose of some papers, before denying any wrongdoing.
Police were called to a Kembla Street unit complex the afternoon of November 21. They allegedly found Bauer seated in his wheelchair at a block of letterboxes, with his arm inside one of the lower ones.
Spotting police, he allegedly got up out of his wheelchair and began hopping away from the letterboxes.
Police allege he threw a piece of paper into a nearby bin as they approached him.
Asked what he was doing he replied, “fixing the letterboxes”.
Police told him they had received reports that he had been opening letterboxes and letters, allegations he denied.
Police allegedly later found several open envelopes and letters addressed to people other than Bauer, on the seat of his wheelchair.
Under further questioning, Bauer told police “I was putting them back, they were all on the ground”.
A long-handled, four-pronged garden took was located on the ground next to Bauer’s chair.
He said he had used it to pry a brick out of the ground, then used the brick to close the letterboxes.
Police allege some letterboxes had obviously been forced open and some had been hit with a rock or brick.
Residents from the unit complex came to check on their letterboxes after police arrived. One woman found her letterbox contained open mail, including a personal letter and photographs addressed to ‘Debbie’. On Bauer’s wheelchair was an open envelop, also addressed to a ‘Debbie’, police allege.
Police later recovered an open letter addressed to a resident from the nearby garbage bin.
Bauer returned to his wheelchair and wheeled himself to the back of a caged police vehicle.
He was searched and allegedly found with a NSW photo ID card in the name of a woman, which he said had come from one of the letterboxes.
Bauer was arrested and charged over the matter.
He was arrested again last week when he failed to report to police on Tuesday, in line with his bail conditions.
Seeking bail at Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, his lawyer told the court he was in the process of seeking compensation for the removal of his leg two months ago.
In the flurry of associated legal appointments, had forgotten he was due to report to police, she said.
He was granted bail, on condition he report to police thrice weekly.
The matter returns to court on Tuesday.