A Gold Coast man has chased down an alleged fuel thief twice after spotting someone siphoning diesel from a truck in the early hours of the morning. Videographer James Longstaff, 23, was editing videos at a Molendinar business when he noticed suspicious activity on closed-circuit television about 1.30am on Wednesday. He ran outside barefoot to confront the driver.
“Oh bro it’s flaming happening,” Longstaff said in video filmed during the confrontation. Footage captured by Longstaff shows him sprinting after a utility vehicle as the alleged thief sped away with the fuel hose still attached. “What are you doing mate, what are you doing. Holyyy!!!” he yelled.
As the ute accelerated down the street, diesel spilled across the road while the pump tore free from the truck. “You’re dropping all my flaming diesel what are you doing bro,” Longstaff shouted. Moments later, he held up the detached equipment, joking: “I’ve got myself a flaming free pump. Let’s flaming go.”
His assessment of the culprit was less generous. “What a flaming flog ... absolute scum,” he said. Longstaff told 7NEWS he reacted instinctively after spotting the alleged theft unfold live on CCTV. “It was just a one-second response really. I was like screw this guy,” he said.
Minutes later, while Longstaff was on the phone to police, the ute allegedly returned to the street. “I just came running back out again and sure enough he reversed all the way up the street,” he said. Still barefoot when 7NEWS caught up with him later that day, Longstaff recreated the dramatic chase while detectives investigated the incident.
At this stage, he is unsure how much fuel was stolen. “I think it’s unfortunate the fuel crisis... I think it’s unfair that people are doing this kind of thing,” he said. The video has since attracted thousands of views online, with Longstaff saying he mainly uploaded it in the hope someone would recognise the alleged offender.
“I’m not surprised but I sort of was surprised. I really just did the video to mainly try and motivate and try to catch this person,” he said. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
