According to court documents, Ricky John Whitton, 25, has been sentenced to jail after being found guilty of stealing petrol from the Molong BP petrol station. The court described the incident as “like stealing from a charity.” Whitton pleaded guilty to stealing and driving without a license and appeared in Orange Local Court via audio visual link on February 23.
The documents revealed that on August 30, 2022, Whitton pulled into the petrol station and attempted to unscrew the petrol cap. He encountered difficulties and eventually found the petrol tank lever, which he used to fill his car with 22.36 litres of unleaded petrol, amounting to $40.67. Whitton then drove off without paying, turning onto the Mitchell Highway in the direction of Orange. The incident was captured on CCTV.
The owner of the car identified Whitton as the driver on November 13, and he was subsequently arrested and charged. During the court hearing, Magistrate Roger Prowse expressed his disappointment at Whitton’s actions, saying that they had placed additional stress on a family-run business that was later hit by a flood.
“You don’t need to watch the news to know that half of Molong got washed away,” he said. “When I went past there the other day, there was a sign out the front saying they were struggling, and here’s Mr Whitton ripping them off. It’s like stealing from a charity. Small businesses in country towns rely on every dollar they get in.”
Whitton was sentenced to three months in jail and was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.