Gambler’s $21K Lego Theft Ends in Arson Attack

A self-confessed gaming junky stole $21K worth of Lego set bricks from a salt away inward Brisbane, Australia, before dousing the building inwards gasoline and scene it on fire, The Courier Mail reports.

Laura Jean Richards was the manager of the Lego set Store in the Westfield Mall in Chermside, a magnetic north Brisbane suburb. But she proved to live a poor figurehead for the vendor of colorful plastic building bricks dearest of children worldwide.

Richards caused over $70K inward scathe to the stock and next outlets when she torched the joint.

Back to Work

The 36-year-old snuck into the stock inwards the forenoon of August 19, 2020, before it was due to clear for the day, according to royal court filings.

She was disguised in a beany lid and carried a green bag containing a jerrycan of gasoline, deuce bottles of kerosene, spraying bottles, and matches.

She entered the storeroom. She filled upwards the spraying bottles of petrol from the jerrycan and sprayed petrol [gasoline] o'er the Lego stock up privileged their cage. She lit boxes on fire and left,” prosecuting officer Bokkos Swanwick told Brisbane District Court on Wednesday.

Afterwards, she threw her clothes into a creek, changed into her Lego set lay in uniform, and went to work, only to chance the building smoldering.

Richard’s actions were an attempt to covering upward the theft of 40 Lego boxes and the embezzlement of $59,428 inwards cash in from sales that she should have deposited into the cant betwixt June and August 2020.

Drastic Measures

When senior direction caught curve of financial anomalies, I. A. Richards produced bogus emails from the bank, blaming discrepancies on busted teller machines. When that failed to appease suspicion, I. A. Richards took drastic measures.

After the fire, Richards was quizzed by senior management and admitted taking the missing money, which she promised to repay. She was straight off suspended and the law were called.

She confessed to detectives that she had circle the firing to handle upward stock up theft but did non allow in to stealing the money.

Richards was released on bail and subsequently got a chore as a manager inwards a deduction store. But, formerly again, she stole thousands of dollars from the business.

Guilty Plea

On Wednesday, she blamed the to the highest degree recent theft on her play addiction, adding that she has since repaid some of the money. But the court of justice heard $10K is outstanding.

Richards pleaded hangdog to charges of put-on by an employee of $30K or more, endangering dimension by fire, entering premises with spirit to institutionalise an indictable offence, and stealing by a clerk or servant.

Sentencing was adjourned pending a psychiatrical report.

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