In a curious incident in Mountain River, Tasmania, local resident Gail Oates is grappling with the puzzling theft of her Toyota Prado, allegedly taken by former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann. Oates, who had never encountered Lehrmann prior to this incident, expressed confusion over the theft, stating, “I just don’t understand it.”
The vehicle was reported missing in the early hours of 20 November 2024, after Oates discovered it was gone when she left home around 7am to drive her son to work. She swiftly contacted the police upon realising the car, which she described as her “pride and joy,” had been taken, causing her to panic.
Fortunately, by midday the vehicle was returned, complete with its keys and a full tank of fuel, adding to the surreal nature of the event. Oates recalled the situation, describing it as “weird and bizarre.”
Police subsequently showed her surveillance footage capturing a man at a nearby service station, where he put fuel in her vehicle and purchased a bottle of Coke. Unfamiliar with the individual, Oates stated, “I did not know him from a bar of soap.” It wasn’t until later that Oates learned the charged individual was Lehrmann, the 29-year-old man who gained notoriety during a defamation trial against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson regarding a sexual assault claim made by Brittany Higgins, which he was found guilty of.
Notably, Oates indicated that her son had briefly worked with Lehrmann, yet she had no personal connection to him, having only seen him in news reports. Lehrmann was scheduled to appear via phone in Hobart Magistrate’s Court, charged with one count of motor vehicle theft. While he has yet to enter a plea, the matter is set to return to court in June, leaving the community and Oates herself in a state of intrigue regarding the circumstances behind the car theft.