A Shell Cove handyman has admitted his role in a violent and meticulously planned robbery, where he and a serving police officer stole $100,000 in cash from an elderly man in northwestern New South Wales.
A calculated crime unravels
Clayton John Hobbs, 52, from Shell Cove, has pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated break, enter and commit an indictable offence. The offence relates to a home invasion on October 3, 2024, which left a 78-year-old man bloodied and traumatised.
Hobbs and his co-offender, an Illawarra-based police officer who cannot be named, took extensive steps to avoid detection. They borrowed a van for the trip, left their mobile phones behind, used cash for purchases on the journey, and carried a jerry can of fuel. Despite these precautions, CCTV and traffic cameras captured their movements.
The police officer, who was jailed for 10 years in November 2025, had first become aware of the victim's substantial cash savings during a 2020 investigation. Body-worn video from a search of the man's home showed the officer exclaiming "Holy moly" upon finding a large sum in a safe and noting a bank receipt showing a balance of $122,000.
A violent home invasion
The pair drove to the victim's town on October 2, 2024, arriving the next morning. After surveilling the property, they struck that night. The police officer, with his face covered, entered first and forced the elderly occupant to the ground, binding his hands behind his back with cable ties.
Hobbs then entered and the victim's feet were also restrained. The victim, who initially believed his attackers were plainclothes officers, pleaded not to be handcuffed. His hands were further secured with tape.
The offenders then demanded the key to the safe and the location of the victim's guns. When the man was reluctant, one of them threatened, "Stop lying. If you don't give us the key to the safe we'll chuck ya in the car and take ya out to the dam." The victim only revealed the key's location after being kicked in the head.
The officer opened the safe and stole approximately $100,000 in cash—money the victim had withdrawn during the COVID-19 pandemic for emergencies. The pair then fled.
Aftermath and investigation
The injured victim managed to call a neighbour, who freed him and summoned an ambulance. The cable ties had cut into his skin, causing bleeding, and his knees were grazed. He was treated in hospital overnight.
Court documents reveal the victim was initially fearful of speaking to police, worried the perpetrators would return to hurt or kill him.
Upon returning to the Illawarra, Hobbs attempted to cover his tracks. He returned the borrowed van to a friend but left it at Shellharbour Marina instead of his home to avoid a direct link. He also made cash deposits of $2,150 and $1,900 into his bank account in October 2024.
The investigation progressed when police circulated identification alerts featuring CCTV images on October 18. The police officer was identified by colleagues, while the van's owner named Hobbs as the driver on the day of the crime. A search of Hobbs's home uncovered the jerry can used on the trip. Despite initially denying any involvement after his arrest, Hobbs has now entered a guilty plea.
Clayton John Hobbs is scheduled to be sentenced in April 2026 and remains on bail until that time.
