GAWLER local Scott Copland went from being a drone worker to a crime stopper on Friday afternoon, after he intervened in a robbery at a Reeves Plains farm.
The Jim’s Drones employee was conducting some testing with new drones at the property, when he noticed a motorbike ride up the driveway.
“I saw his helmet and I thought it was a bit odd…as anyone that knows that family knows not to use that side of the house,” Mr Copland said.
“I thought I’d go and check it out, as there’d been a few break-ins lately.
“I was about 100 metres away from my vehicle, which had my mobile in it.
“As I came to the side of the home, I noticed the side door was open, and I noticed the motorbike with the helmet…I thought it was a bit strange for them to park it there, and I waited outside to see if I could hear anything.
“I heard someone ransacking the place, going through the drawers, and that’s when I proceeded to enter the property and confront the individual.
“They were quite shocked because they didn’t know I was there.”
After confronting the alleged thief, Mr Copland removed the keys and helmet from the bike’s ignition, however the intruder was still eager to get away.
“I was in the military for 20 years, so some of your training kicks in naturally, and I thought the best option for me was to immobilise his way of getting away,” he said.
“I then went to my car and contacted local police…as I was getting to my vehicle I heard a motorbike start, and he’d stolen a bike from inside the property and ventured down one of the roads.
“I contacted the police and jumped in my ute and pursued the individual.
“He realised I was close to catching him, so he pulled off into the scrub and that’s when local police contacted me again and said they were close-by, coming from multiple directions to trap him.”
The alleged thief then moved across a paddock to confront some local workers, who owned a farm, about trying to give him a lift back to Gawler, to which they said no.
However, he wasn’t deterred, and confronted another person.
“He took off and went to another property across the road and convinced a lady he needed a ride, and jumped in with her,” Mr Copland said.
“She then realised something was wrong so she got out, and he took the keys from out of her hand and basically stole the car.
“He’d left his mobile phone there though…they (police) know who it is and it’s only a matter of time before they get him.”
Gawler police corroborated Mr Copland’s recollection of events, and confirmed on Tuesday they are in possession of the alleged thief’s phone and are currently investigating the incident.