Prisoner who stole a ute and escaped 1,100km interstate while on the run bizarrely messages the owner to say SORRY and where their vehicle can be found
- Glen Carragher’s Toyota Hilux was stolen from a building site in Alice Springs
- They were caught on CCTV and identified as two escaped prisoners
- Grant Moore and Brendon Payne drove the ute 1,100km interstate
- The thieves had escaped from Alice Springs Correction Centre two weeks before
- When Mr Carragher pleaded to find it Moore contacted him with the location
A pair of escaped prisoners who stole a Toyota Hilux and used it to flee interstate messaged the owner of the ute to let him know where he could find it after he begged to get it back online.
Boilermaker Glen Carragher was working at a construction job at a property in Alice Springs on November 28 when the 2017 Hilux was stolen from the garage.
The thieves were captured on CCTV and identified as Grant Moore, 24, and Brendon Payne, 25, who escaped from Alice Springs Correctional Centre on November 14.
Boilermaker Glen Carragher (pictured) was working at a construction job at a property in Alice Springs on November 28 when the 2017 Hilux was stolen from the garage
Mr Carragher told Daily Mail Australia he stopped at the job site to ‘quickly pack down a job’ and left his keys in the car so the air-conditioner could stay on.
‘When I came out a short time later my car and approx $30,000 worth of tools and steel was gone,’ he said.
Mr Carragher had downgraded the insurance on his tools to save money as he was contracting around town and reported the incident to police but heard nothing.
‘A week went by and nothing so I decided to do some investigating of my own. I obtained some footage which showed the thieves stealing the car,’ Mr Carragher said.
Both he and police quickly realised it was Moore and Payne, with police saying they had driven the car more than 1,100km to Mt Isa.
Mr Carragher posted the CCTV footage and pictures of the pair to Facebook, pleading to get his ute and tools back.
Once it went online he had friends contact Moore and Payne and told them to return the vehicle and tools.
The thieves were captured on CCTV and identified as Grant Moore, 24, and Brendon Payne, 25, who escaped from Alice Springs Correctional Centre on November 14
Northern Territory Police were searching for two men who escaped from the Reintegration Accommodation Facility on November 14
‘Grant Moore messaged me over Facebook messenger to say sorry and sent me a map of where he left the car,’ the boilermaker said.
The Google Map image and pin showed the car was in a town near Gillen Bore in the Harts Range region.
Mr Carragher and friends searched for the car for an entire week and police even joined the search with drones but they couldn’t find anything.
‘In the meantime I was still messaging Grant who assured me the car was there so I decided to go for one more look the day before I was leaving for Christmas break,’ he said.
Mr Carragher told Daily Mail Australia he stopped at the job site to ‘quickly pack down a job’ and left his keys in the car so the air-conditioner could stay on
‘Local legend and tracker Matt Morton picked me up and we went looking.’
Mr Morton rode his dirtbike through the scrub for hours in the 44C heat and almost gave up when he drove over a creek and found the car.
Mr Carragher was so overcome with joy when he saw the car he collapsed to the grount.
‘My tools were all gone but I was so grateful to Matt and just to have my car back,’ he said.
‘It was a Christmas miracle!’
Moore and Payne are still believed to be on the run from police.