Australian man accidentally throws out $50,000 worth of wife's jewellery

[Bangyai]

An Australian man is rueing his plan to hide the family's valuables from thieves resulted in $50,000 (£32,000) worth of jewellery being thrown out.

A man hid his wife's uninsured gold jewellery and several valuable family heirlooms in plastic rubbish bags in case their home was ever robbed Photo: ALAMY


By Bonnie Malkin, Sydney

9:23AM BST 30 Aug 2011


The man, known only as Geoffrey, hid his wife's uninsured gold jewellery and several valuable family heirlooms in plastic rubbish bags in case their home was ever robbed.

But while the family was preparing to move house, just days before the couple's 23rd wedding anniversary, the bags were accidentally thrown away.

They are now believed to be somewhere in the local council's vast rubbish tip, but council officials have said the likelihood of finding the bags was slim.

Geoffrey, who works as a truck driver in Brisbane, said he was frightened his family would be a target of robbers, so he devised a plan to keep the jewellery safe.

"I had this great idea to split the gold into three rubbish bags, so if the thieves did come, they're not going to find it," he told the Courier-Mail newspaper.

"We're moving house, and I told the kids to give me any garbage lying around for me to throw out.
"My wife rang me up when I was at work and said 'where are the bags?' You know that sick feeling you get? Wow."

Most of the gold, which included charm bracelets, bangles and pure gold bars, was bought as an investment while the couple lived in Britain for 25 years.
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council said the local landfill received 1,400 tonnes of rubbish per week, roughly half the capacity of an Olympic swimming pool.
Searching for the lost items was simply not an option, a spokesman for the council said.

Australian man accidentally throws out $50,000 worth of wife's jewellery - Telegraph

[Bangyai]

If I accidently threw out Ms Bangyai 's gold I think I'd do a runner rather than face the storm that would follow.

[larvidchr]

Guess the guy did outsmart any would be burglars, no loot to be found anywhere

[Fondles]

Interesting its up to 50k now, at lunchtime on triple J (Radio station in OZ) it was 30k.

[harrybarracuda]

Terry has gone strangely quiet, I'm guessing he's getting a whupping right now.

[kingwilly]

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council said the local landfill received 1,400 tonnes of rubbish per week, roughly half the capacity of an Olympic swimming pool.
Searching for the lost items was simply not an option, a spokesman for the council said.

At what point would it be ?

[kingwilly]

throwing it away etc, unlucky.

uninsured gold jewellery

was bought as an investment while the couple lived in Britain for 25 years.

Not insured ? Just stupid.

[terry57]

Terry has gone strangely quiet, I'm guessing he's getting a whopping right now.

Well I told her its down the tip but in reality its in my S.C.B account in Bangkok and Ive just booked first class back to the Land Of Mad Bastards.

Choice innit.

Get the Lao Darks lined up as I'm buying.

[spikebs4]

h/b..maybe he,s getting tooled up with overalls,wellys and a big fkin shovel and heading down to the tip..bet theres a few already there..