Tony Joseph Lucas, 44, previously of Balmoral Road, Warrnambool, and Adam Bradley Forbes, 45, of High Street, Beaufort, pleaded guilty to burglary-related charges in the Warrnambool County Court during July.

Sentencing was adjourned to another hearing in Melbourne and was announced recently.

Lucas was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment with 22 months to serve before being eligible for parole. He has now served about seven months in custody.

Forbes was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, also with 22 months to be served before being eligible for parole. He has served about six-and-a-half months in custody.

The County Court previously heard Forbes was a crystal methamphetamine addict and had involved himself in crimes to pay for his ice habit.

He received $2700 and half an ounce of marijuana for handling stolen goods at Casterton and stealing a safe full of jewellery from the Coleraine farmhouse in 2012.

Forbes pleaded guilty to breaking into the farmhouse between June 8 and 10, 2012 and stealing the 200-kilogram safe containing 120 items of jewellery valued at $160,000.

He committed the Coleraine offences with fellow shearer Lucas who also pleaded guilty to the burglary.

Forbes also pleaded guilty to handling goods including tools, chainsaws and motorcycle helmets with a total value of more than $26,000 that were stolen from a Casterton business on May 13 or 14, 2012.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to answer his bail at the Hamilton Magistrates Court on September 5, 2012. 

Prosecutor Sally Flynn said Forbes told police he had been asked to collect the stolen goods from Casterton and take them to Mount Gambier and was given $500 and half an ounce of marijuana for his efforts.

She said both Forbes and Lucas had gone to a farmhouse at Coleraine during the 2012 Queen’s Birthday long weekend because they knew there was a safe there — Lucas having previously sheared at the property.