Adelaide man hit with angle grinder stopping an e-bike theft

A man has been left with head injuries after he was hit with an angle grinder while trying to stop someone stealing his e-bike in Adelaide's inner east, ABC News reported on Friday 9 October.

Stephen Hoy, 60, from Queensland, was staying at a caravan park in Hackney after travelling to Adelaide to see his son's band play. He told the ABC he heard voices outside his caravan at about 1:30am, then woke at about 4:30am to the sound of machinery. Outside, a man was cutting through the lock that secured his e-bike to his motorhome.

Mr Hoy said the cut took seconds. He confronted the man, and during the struggle the offender swung the grinder while it was still running and hit him in the head. Mr Hoy chased him to the kerb, where there was a second scuffle before the man ran off, dropping some of his belongings.

Where things stand

• Paramedics treated Mr Hoy at the scene and he later received stitches
• Police said the e-bike was abandoned a short distance from the caravan and the angle grinder was left at the scene
• At the time of the ABC report no one had been arrested. Police described the offender as Caucasian and about 191cm tall
• Police have asked anyone with information or CCTV of the attempted robbery to come forward

Mr Hoy said he felt lucky his injuries were not worse. It is the second Adelaide e-bike theft to make the news in two days, after a Mile End family had an Aventon Abound cargo e-bike taken from their backyard on Wednesday 7 October.

Why the lock was not enough

A battery powered angle grinder will cut through most cable locks and many chains and D locks in well under a minute, and this one went through in seconds. Locks rated to resist grinders exist, but they are heavy and expensive, and even they only buy time. The realistic aim is to make your bike slower and noisier to take than the one next to it, and to make it hard to sell once it is gone.

What it means for riders

• Do not physically confront someone using a power tool. Call 000 if a crime is happening now, make noise, turn on lights, and film from a safe distance if you can. A bike can be replaced
• When travelling with a bike on a caravan, motorhome or car rack, bring it inside or into a locked annexe overnight where you can, and take the battery and display with you
• Use two different locks (for example a heavy D lock plus a chain) so a thief needs more time and more than one tool, and lock through the frame to something that cannot be lifted or unbolted
• Record your frame serial number, keep the receipt, and take clear photos, including any marks or accessories, so police and second hand dealers can identify the bike
• Consider a hidden GPS tracker and check whether your home, caravan or specialist bike insurance covers the bike away from home, and for how much