In a twist that might surprise some, a man accused of stealing a staggering $12,000 worth of meat from a South Australian supermarket has found an unexpected group of supporters among the public.

The man, caught on CCTV filling his cooler bag with premium cuts, including Wagyu beef, at a Drakes supermarket, has sparked a debate that goes beyond the act of theft itself.

The footage showed the man, clad in a bright orange hi-vis jacket, nonchalantly placing packs of high-end Wagyu beef into his cooler bag and strolling past the checkout without paying.

This wasn't a one-off incident; the tradie is accused of repeating this theft more than 27 times, with the stolen goods totalling an eye-watering $12,000.

But here's the twist: despite the clear-cut nature of the crime, many Australians are siding with the alleged thief.

A man allegedly stole expensive meats at a Drakes supermarket. Credit: A Current Affair / YouTube

And the reason? A deep-seated frustration with the big supermarket chains and the perception of their role in the rising cost of living, including the price of groceries.

The Director of Drakes Supermarkets, John Paul Drake, has taken measures to combat such thefts, including the installation of GPS trackers on meat products.

'We know these products aren't going to people in need, people in need don't need Wagyu or Angus pure beef to have on their tables,’ he said.

The South Australia Police are investigating the incidents, and the supermarket chain is considering rolling out the GPS technology across all its stores in South Australia and Queensland.

This move comes as Drakes claimed that meat theft costs them up to $12 million a year.

Auror, a company offering tech solutions to help retailers curb theft, found over 67,000 cases of stolen meat last year. Beef is the most frequently stolen, followed by chicken, lamb, and pork.

While some individuals steal meat for personal consumption, there were reports of others selling premium cuts to restaurants.

Drake has posted multiple videos on social media exposing alleged thieves caught on CCTV cameras stealing meat.

He confronted a man at a Drakes supermarket in Adelaide who allegedly tried to leave the store without paying.

'I said, “Look mate, I know things are tough out there, but this is not the place to walk out with products like this,”’ Drake said.

However, the public reaction to the tradie's meat heist has been mixed, with some online commenters suggesting that the supermarkets themselves are partly to blame for the thefts.

They argued that the high salaries of CEOs and substantial profits of the chains, such as Woolworths' $1.74 billion last year, contrast sharply with the financial struggles many Australians face.

'Lots of people struggle to feed themselves while places like ww (Woolworths) pay their CEOs around $10 million a year,' one shopper commented.

‘I don't even consider a freebie here and there as stealing.'

Another added, 'Stop charging ridiculous amounts of money. If that stock wasn't [allegedly] stolen it would be thrown out like everything else.'

'Woolworths [made] $1.74billion in profit last year! Who's ripping off who in these situations?'

Moreover, a Greens-led Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices has recommended making price gouging illegal and introducing laws to dismantle Australia's supermarket duopoly.

You can watch A Current Affairs’ coverage below:

Credit: A Current Affair / YouTube​

Key Takeaways

• A man wearing a hi-vis jacket was caught on CCTV allegedly stealing packs of premium meat, including Wagyu beef, worth $12,000 from Drakes supermarkets.
• Drakes Supermarkets have installed GPS trackers on their expensive meat products to deter thieves and track stolen items.
• While some social media users condemned the action, others sympathised with the alleged thief, blaming supermarket chains for high prices and executive salaries.
• Drakes is considering expanding the use of GPS technology to all of its stores amongst a backdrop of inquiries into supermarket pricing practices in Australia.

Have you ever experienced seeing a shoplifter in action? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[rehandra]

Unbelievable. If this man was indeed hungry you do not go for the most expensive meats to feed your family. According to what I heard they onsell the meat to buy drugs! I do not condone this in any way shape or form. Makes things more expensive for the rest of us.

 

[Ebby]

family does not make it right.

Have you ever been in that position? Well l have and been reduced to tears when l had no money to feed my then very young four children and S S wouldn't help till l had to fill in a form which said my husband had left me which was not the case at all but l have already written about that on this subject, We lived on banana's which we got free when we handed in a leaflet up till we got some money. Of course stealing is wrong and this guy should not get anyway with it.

 

[richmich.4422@gmail]

I only hope that this thief is charged with stealing, prosecuted in a court of law, convicted & made to pay back the mentioned $12 thousand in compensation to the various stores he has stolen from. This is to the extent where the court confiscates, maybe his motor vehicle, bank account or any other tangible assets to support the compensation payments.

 

[CristinaV]

I agree with what you said about christina, she has no control of what she has stssted . Covid inhection havd nothing to do wit stesling, if you xant afford it dont stwwal it, get a second job to be abldd to aaford meat, christibba would be the first to blow their stack if someone stole from them , may be she is psrt of centre link member or a brainless greenie

Sticks and stones, sticks and stones......you are all stupid as stupid as Littletibbies.
And Brian Mc, you might want to as my littletibbies says and learn to spell. Your typing is embarrassing to you.

 

[Fanger]

Thieving is thieving. This person is a lowlife thief and anyone who condones it is just as low.