NSW Police allege the bobcat was stolen. Photo: NSW Police.
A man in Wagga has been charged after police allegedly uncovered stolen farm equipment following a crash near Coolamon earlier this week.
Police allege a 36-year-old man was driving an unregistered Ford Ranger along Gap Hall Coolamon Road at The Gap at about 6:45 pm on Tuesday (12 May) when the ute, which was towing a plant trailer and bobcat, left the road and crashed into a tree.
Officers claim the man then unhitched the trailer and left the scene with the bobcat.
A short time later, police stopped the man as he was driving into Wagga Wagga, where he allegedly tested positive in a roadside drug test.
After further investigations on Wednesday, officers from the Riverina Rural Crime Prevention Team allegedly confirmed the bobcat and trailer had been stolen from separate locations over the past three months.
Police arrested the 36-year-old man at a home in Nunkeri Place, Glenfield Park, at about 2:50 pm on Wednesday (13 May).
He was taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station and charged with two counts of receiving stolen property worth more than $5000, negligent driving, using misleading number plates, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving an uninsured vehicle.
The man was refused bail and was due to appear before court on Thursday (14 May).
Police say the bobcat and trailer have a combined estimated value of $75,000.
Strange, I thought city-based elites like Labor's Communications Minister Anika Wells should fix it. View