By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Cranbourne man has been jailed for at least four years over the theft of two valuable Ferraris, both of which were later found dumped and torched in paddocks.
Matthew Ludwig, 32, and Langwarrin co-offender Bradley Abela, 31, had stolen the Ferrari Daytona and Ferrari 328 during a ram-raid burglary of a Braeside ‘supercar’ business on 6 November 2015, the County Court of Victoria had heard.
The Daytona, valued at between $1.5 and $2 million was stored at a Langwarrin address until the following morning. It was later found incinerated in a Langwarrin paddock.
The 328 was burnt out in a Frankston paddock.
Neither Ludwig nor Abela were charged with setting fire to the vehicles.
At the time, Ludwig was on parole. His offending that same night – which included the theft of three vehicles from a Frankston car yard – was described as “prolific”.
Half an hour before the ram-raid, Ludwig broke into two Subway stores in Chelsea and Patterson Lakes, stealing more than $3000 cash in a safe and soft drinks.
On the same night of the burglary, the pair had stolen a black Ford Territory used for the ram-raid.
Police later found the abandoned Territory in Bangholme, with Abela’s wallet and two grams of ice left inside.
Abela, presumably to explain the lost wallet, made a false report to police that his mother’s car containing his wallet had been stolen.
Prior to his arrest, Ludwig had escaped from police in Dandenong by reversing his vehicle at speed into an intersection. His open car door struck a pole during the manoeuvre.
In sentencing on 9 June, Judge Paul Lacava noted Abela and Ludwig’s decade-plus history of similar convictions, their ‘ice’ addictions at the time as well as multiple stints in jail.
He concluded both offenders’ prospects for rehabilitation were “poor” despite pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.
The judge took into account the stress and financial cost to the victims of the car thefts as well as the need to denunciate these “prevalent” crimes.
Ludwig, who pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft, four burglaries, two attempted thefts and offending while on parole, was jailed for a maximum of six years – including four years’ non-parole.
Abela pleaded guilty to five thefts and possessing methamphetamine. He was jailed for three years, with a minimum of two years. His term includes 352 days of pre-sentence detention.
Both offenders were disqualified from driving for three years.
