The Blairgowrie Bandit

This caper is worth a mention. One David James Appleby, of Patterson Lakes in Melbourne, Australia, was apprehended after he stole a luxury yacht and sailed it from Melbourne to Tasmania. According to this news article, Appleby (the audacious bastard) stole the 14m yacht from the Blairgowrie Marina on the Mornington Peninsula in January last year and sailed it through one of the worst storms ever to hit south-eastern Australia. Yesterday he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' jail with a minimum nine-month term. The judge indicated that he felt that the crime was influenced by Appleby's psychiatric condition, bipolar disorder, rather than greed or a desire to benefit in some way.

The theft sparked a massive police search for the $350,000 yacht, Premier Cru - it was finally spotted (after the storm) by a plane a co-owner chartered for the search.

The judge can't be far off here on the lack of desire to benefit from the theft. Who else but a raving lunatic would swipe a yacht only to sail it through one of the worst storms ever to hit south-eastern Australia.. Then again, what a way to (ideally) cover your tracks. One clue as to his state of mind...Appleby stole a $42,000 Mazda MX6 coupe in March 1994 and drove it for a few days and then left it locked away until it was discovered by police 11 years later.