SA family’s ‘bait & switch’ swindle : Corporate theft, official collusion and corruption by SA govt alleged

IN the long-running case of Cooper Engineering, the State of South Australia is accused of engaging in tortious interference, stealing personal property, closing down small family-owned and operated businesses and seizing private assets by stealth, using well-rehearsed tactics of obstruction, deception and lies.

Cooper Engineering has manufactured and repaired large steel chassis, chaser bins, air seeders, tippers, dollys, stone rollers, road trains and related components for farming and industrial use since 1983.

A hearing for a trial on matters related to Cooper Engineering’s dispute with various parties is due to begin in Adelaide today (Monday).

Following this introduction is a 3rd party forensic paralegal account as at February 2024 that was commissioned by Richard Cooper for submission to various court procedures and as a consequence is a public document. I (June Wells) have been keeping tabs on these cases for some years and have previously written about some aspects. In view of the current Federal (and SA State election not too far away), I believe it is relevant to bring this to reader’s attention at this time, as it shows State/Crown collusion to defame and close down small businesses using corruption and standover tactics by a State entity – Consumer and Business Services (CBS) – as well as the police (none of this would be an issue if they’d done their job in the first instance), courts, magistrates, lawyers, sheriffs, MPs, the SA Uni-parties, and the supposed Office of Public Integrity, which, it turns out, is just operated by the police. You’d be forgiven if you thought it was just in order to cover up crimes in which they are involved. How many other businesses are being treated so atrociously? Cooper’s is a 40 year old family owned business with an excellent reputation for quality workmanship. It has been through family and partnership changes over the years, not to mention they lost their family farm to corrupt and fraudulent banks, receivers and drug-runners after their father died and the bank had underage lads sign papers. That was de rigueur for Aussie banks in the 80’s and 90’s, a time of high interest, shadow ledgers and bank sales often to bank mates with kick-backs. This latest string of events which you couldn’t make up started around the time Cooper made an application to the latest Banking Inquiry about the original farm loss to corruption and fraud. Read into that what you will.

Decades later, reference the public resignation of high profile “Corruption Watchdog” – SA’s anti-corruption Commissioner – Ann Vanstone, the ICAC boss last year (6/9/24). It seems she’d been doing battle since she was appointed in July 2020, when in 2021 the “Uni-Party” rushed through legislation watering down corruption laws; these changes meant it would protect the likes of pollies, cops and mates and to stymie Vanstone so she couldn’t investigate anything of consequence. She complained she could get nowhere (implied corruption), and resigned. S.A. has many corruption problems, and what better time for voters to vote out the Uni-Party covering it all up. There is more to come on this story, and there are no doubt many more like it. In this instance, the only detail I have expunged is Cooper’s address, but business names and links remain. There are extensive footnotes in this document due to it’s origin and purpose, but it’s a good bedtime story – if you’re not the target!! J. Wells.

The full forensic report follows:

Cooper Engineering (hereafter “Coop Eng”) is a manufacturer and repairer of large steel Chassis, Chaser Bins, Air Seeders, Tippers, Dolly’s, Stone Rollers, Road Trains and related components for farming and industrial use since 1983.^{3 4} http://cooperengineering.com.au/

As with most small businesses, COVID lockdowns had a huge impact on the small family operation, including supply chain disruption for timely delivery of steel and other supplies, as well as massive increased costs for the supply of parts and components needed to keep the engineering business viable. Concurrently with this, farmers were suffering huge crop losses due to frost. Despite these challenges, Coop Eng was able to sustain a viable business.

Between June 2020 and October 2021, five customers approached Coop Eng to purchase custom-made Bins to order.⁵ The customers included Glenlea Partners (Peter Williams), Chapman Family Farms (Christopher Mark, Fiona and Bryce Chapman), L and M Farms (Locky and Melissa Wilson), P and L Webster Pastoral Company (Peter and Leigh Webster) and Springbank Farms (Ben and Paul Light). By October 2021, Coop Eng was obligated to manufacture over $624,249 worth of product on a combined deposit of just $340,119.^{6 7 8 9 10}

In September 2019, FJ and JF Edwards (Jay Edwards) ordered a bin valued at $85,700, with a deposit of $25,000. Edwards’ Chase Bin build commenced in June 2020 and ready for collection in October 2020, however, Edwards never responded to Cooper’s engagement to collect the Chase bin.¹¹ Cooper eventually advised he would have to sell the bin to recover costs and in May 2021 advertised the Chase Bin for $116,000 (tyres and wheels excluded). Tyres and wheels for it were already on back-order when Christopher Mark Chapman responded to the ad on 17/6/21.

Chapman arrived at Coopers property to inspect the completed Chase Bin on 19/6/21 and wanted a $20k discount but got a discount of $10k on condition that full payment would be made by 28/6/21. Chapman then requested an additional c.$50k worth of modifications, to which Cooper agreed. Chapman paid $53,000 for the modifications on 21/6/21 but did not pay the remaining $106,000 for full payment, as agreed, thus forfeiting his discount, and owing $116,000. Back-ordered tyres and wheels were extra once landing price was known, and he agreed to cover unknown expenses on account of covid supply issues in regard to the extras. (Back-ordered wheels and tyres did not arrive until April 2023. Cost: $36,700 landed.)

At 6.44am on 9/10/21,Christopher Chapman, with his wife and son, illegally broke into Cooper Engineering yard, cutting open a rear fence.¹² (Cooper away working on Eyre Pen. and Sun in Adelaide.) On 10/10/21, at 6.50am they again entered the yard and spray painted their farm name on a Chaser Bin. At 6.44am on 11/10/21 they returned again with a tractor to steal the Chaser bin and many other steel components for the production of bins and trailers, lifting huge gates off hinges with tractor forks. Chapman and his family were at the property all day for three days straight. The theft and beak-ins were caught on CCTV.^{13 14 15 16} Their actions offend the 1914 Commonwealth Crimes Act s4k, s35, s36, s41, s42, s43 and s87.

Cooper’s wife Xiaoqing Sun was in Adelaide and could see on CCTV people in the yard but was unable to contact Cooper. When she eventually did, Cooper phoned the police, who attended and made the Chapman family return the Chase bin. Cooper wanted Chapman and his wife and son charged for unlawfully entering his property. Police at the time said they’d never seen anything like it as Chapman – TWICE – offered a bribe of an extra $20k to Cooper in front of police not to press charges, and claimed that Police Officer Geraghty gave authorization for the unlawful entry which was caught on police recordings.^{17 18}

Cooper tried for months to have the Chapmans charged but police would not take a statement. In fact, Cooper even tried to drop the statement on the front seat of a police car after police failed to keep appointments. Cooper even staked the police station out until he found someone there. At that time, the policeman in the car informed Cooper that the matter was finalised and no charges would be laid. All this without taking a statement from Cooper or his wife.

From this time onwards, Chapman colluded with four other Coop Eng customers (Webster, Wilson, Light and Williams), who had already entered into legally-binding contracts with Cooper for the supply of Chassis Bins and Chase Bins, in order to defraud Coop Eng.¹⁹ Chapman systematically orchestrated a web of lies by deceitful and criminal conduct, starting with Chapman making a fraudulent claim via his bank to Cooper’s five days after the break-ins on 16/10/21, (how much earlier had he lodged it with his bank?) saying he had made a “payment in error, mistakenly made payment to a wrong account” and requesting a refund. On or about the same time, the four others made the same fraudulent claims repeatedly, resulting in Coop Eng bank account being frozen from 4^th November 2021.²⁰ None contacted Coop Eng directly; only made false certificates via their banks, thus voiding their own contracts.

Other deceitful and criminal conduct included:

Christopher Chapman taking Richard Cooper to Court in order to retrospectively cover up his criminal conduct of break-in, theft and trespass.^{21 22}

In a sworn Affidavit dated 25/10/21, Chapman tendered into evidence at the Adelaide Magistrates Court a forged document – a Tax Invoice – changing the terms and conditions of the contractual arrangement put before Magistrate Kate White, who held secret hearings, ex-parte and denied Cooper any right to a defence or fair trial. In fact, on 28^th Oct 2021, Magistrate White initially refused to issue possession Orders without a trial but by 17^th Dec 2021 made Orders without a trial anyway.^{23 24 25}

In the Department of Consumer and Business Services (CBS) Summons dated 7^th Nov 2022, charging Coop Eng partners, clearly states that Chapman paid Cooper Engineering (A FIRM) – not Richard Cooper! This proves Magistrate White grievously erred at law. Chapmans lawyer, Justin Courtney, claimed before White that Cooper had an intentional tort of “conversion”, whereas it is Chapman who is liable for the tort of Conversion, without lawful justification dealing with a chattel in a manner inconsistent with Coop Eng’s terms, conditions and immediate rights of possession. Meanwhile, White never issued an Order against Xiaoqing Sun’s property in complete violation of Contract Law.²⁶

In a subsequent claim of damages by Chapman, Magistrate Panagiotidis made multiple adjournments and refused to inform Coop Eng of dates and times of hearings or permit Cooper the right to lodge interlocutory applications and counterclaims to defend himself or Coop Eng.²⁷

Magistrate Panagiotidis erred in retuning the money to Chapman which in effect gave him a free chase Bin, and never should have given the money to the alleged Trustee as the Chase Bin was constructed by (the new) Cooper Engineering partnership after the alleged bankruptcy.

In an UNSWORN statement to the CBS, Chapman falsely claimed that he had entered into a contract with Coop Eng in June 2020 when in fact the 19^th June 2021 was the first ever contact with Chapman and his son. CBS accepted this lie by Chapman and leveraged it for legal action against Coop Eng, in collusion with Chapman. Coop Eng business and Cooper’s personal bank accounts had been frozen for months as a result of Chapman’s actions and he/CBS convincing other customers to do the same in sync, impeding Coop Eng from fulfilling customers’ orders, which formed the basis of the CBS action against Coop Eng.²⁸

CBS engaged in Tortious Interference with the Coop Eng business and even instructed customers not to pay Coop Eng for orders completed. CBS Katherine Brown and Christopher Chapman’s instruction to Ryan Hewett was to “take the Chassis Bin but do not pay Cooper Engineering”.

Cooper’s wife called Cooper to inform him of the initial break-in and Police were called. The officer claimed Chapman was offering to pay $112,000. They were informed Chapman was in default and that over $120,520 was outstanding (plus interest), not including labour for the extra equipment. Further, components were awaiting delivery from overseas.²⁹

Despite repeated attempts by Cooper to make a formal police report of the theft, police deny him even the opportunity of making a police report and claim of theft and trespass on the record for prosecution. Officer Dennis Geraghty is given a USB with CCTV footage, but refused to act further on the criminal trespass and break-in, while Chapman claimed Officer Dennis Geraghty gave him permission for unlawful entry.^{30 31 32}

Within 6 months of commencing the manufacture of orders made by each plaintiff, between 15/10/21 and 28/10/21, Chapman in conjunction with CBS apparently coordinated for Webster, Wilson, Light and Williams to communicate with Cooper’s bank in order to have his account frozen from early Nov 2021, by seeking a refund of their deposits on the false claim that, in an extraordinary series of “coincidences”, ALL FIVE Applicants had wrongfully made deposits into Cooper’s account and then seeking the reversal of those funds transfers, retrospectively.^{33 34}

All these attempts by the five Applicants to reverse the transactions occurred within five days of each other from 15/10/21, with more than 15 attempts by the various parties to reverse the transactions. Each attempt at reversal would reset an “investigation”, thereby delaying any resolution for Cooper to have his account unfrozen. Consequently, Cooper could not access the necessary funds needed to continue fulfilling orders for his customers or any of the Applicants. Chapman carefully coordinated the plaintiff’s approaches to Bank SA, in tandem, up to the very last day of every fortnight, in order to keep Cooper’s account perpetually frozen. This sinister plot was subsequently used by Chapman and CBS to enable CBS to commence menacing Cooper.

All five Applicants also dishonestly claimed never to have met or known of Richard Cooper or Coop Eng, despite having put the number of their respective Tax Invoices within the record of the bank deposit slips, corresponding exactly to the reference numbers as shown on the Tax Invoices issued in their names.³⁵

On 16^th January, 2023, the CBS Commissioner issued Coop Eng a Summons for failing to deliver bins which, with the exception of Williams*, were not paid for by any of the customers named in the Summons. The Summons was issued for allegedly not producing the bins on time for the FIVE colluding customers who had each technically VOIDED their contracts by claiming they had no contract with Coop Eng when stating they had “mistakenly” paid a deposit to the wrong accounts and despite there being no time or date stated on the contract for completion, as supply of components cannot be assured. *Williams was invoiced for half, but chose to pay 100%, as the Government had an offer of a $150,000 instant tax write-off at that time, which customers would have been aware of and keen to take advantage of. They would have also got the GST credited immediately. Chapman would have received a GST refund and a tax write-off on the “extras payment” plus the money he put into the court, which he ultimately got back.

At the time of the CBS Summons, Chapman already had possession of a bin 10 months before. However, in the Summons, Chapman claims never receiving the bin or a refund. CBS Senior Investigators Katherine Brown, Robyn Heckers and Nathan Jeanes all knew this to be a lie by Chapman, but proceeded to frustrate the other contracts to cause maximum damage to Coop Eng and made no effort to mitigate Coop Eng losses or to assist Coop Eng with providing a remedy that would make completion and delivery of all bins and other orders possible by its continued collusion with Chapman et al.³⁶ This is in clear contravention of CBS’s mandate and charter to keep businesses viable and legally compliant to all its customers. Instead, CBS premeditated a sequence of events which would serve to entrap Coop Eng in a Catch 22 (e.g., make Coop Eng a target; stitch up Coop Eng with a crime, falsely claim unlawful conduct, freeze accounts, publicly defame Coop Eng to cause reputational damage, prevent Coop Eng from trading and manufacturing goods for customers, damage Coop Eng ability to stay financially viable, then prosecute for the failure and incapacity to manufacture and deliver goods).

On 11/1/22, the State of South Australia aided and abetted the commission of crimes by Chapman when he again turned up with 14 other persons – not identified to Richard Cooper – to illegally take possession of a Chaser Bin without payment and without a proper Court Order produced to Cooper at the time.³⁷ This act caused over $5000 damage to the property. Chapman and CBS brought to the property 5 other complainants, including Ryan and Shane Hewett, along with 7 police officers.³⁸ When asking police for names and ranks, 5 officers left immediately. The remaining two officers (Stephen Rodell (#108052) and Brett Siddell (#74547)) failed to arrest the Chapmans and complainants when notified of the robbery which was taking place right in front of them.³⁹ If they had the Orders and Warrant (not produced) they could see that they were different. The warrant was not as per the Order, and there were no tyres and wheels listed. Cooper only received a copy of the warrant after a lot of calls and letters on 10/3/22.

The first Order for possession was dated 17/12/21, therefore, Chapman’s October 2021 break-in and theft were illegal. The Order reads: “It is ordered that: “2. Legal title in and ownership of Chaser Bin 1200, serial number 4-525-2021, and as described in invoice 525 dated 19 June 2021 along with parts described in Proforma Invoice 100961 is now vested in the Applicant.” It is, therefore, clear that Chapman stole more than $90k worth of goods over and above items listed on the Court Order, and over and above other items stolen in October 2021; all under the watchful eye of the Sheriff and police. Nor did the Order give anyone else the lawful right to enter Cooper’s property, as falsely claimed by the Sheriff and Police. When Cooper refused entry to persons not named on an Order, and asked if Chapman was allowed to steal $35k worth of tyres belonging to a third party, the Sheriff said he could “take what he liked”.^{40 41 42 43 44 45}

CBS appointed an “expert witness” to compile a report for court, after three other more highly qualified experts declined doing so on behalf of CBS. Problems with the “expert” report include:

The “expert” report is just over 6 pages, with images lifted from Coop Eng website. A professional report should have consisted of many more pages of detail, including specifics of components, diagrams and cost breakdowns.⁴⁶

The report does not refer to specific Bins of the type, size and design of those ordered by the customers for custom manufacturing by Coop Eng.

No Chassis Bins are quoted in the report and no evidence exists to show that the expert has ever manufactured a Chassis Bin.⁴⁷

The report does not give costings for the manufacture of specific products.

No materials are listed.

No drawings are included to be able to make the above.

No breakdown of manufacturing procedure.

The “expert” completed a short TAFE Course in a Diploma of Advanced Mechanical Engineering and works on his family’s farm during harvest and seeding for the last 5 years.⁴⁸

Would not fit the criteria for a court-appointed/recognised expert to offer an opinion. 

SUMMARY:

Magistrate Panagiotidis made orders in December 2023 that Chapman’s $80,000 (held in the court as security for a Possession Order for Cooper Partnership) be given back to Chapman, and shared with the alleged trustee. This effectively gave Chapman a free Chase Bin. The replacement cost of this 400 bag Chase Bin with the same specifications is $211,870 plus GST. Magisttrate Panagiotidis actions erred on several points:

(a) Giving back Chapman $52,000 and an alleged trustee in bankruptcy $28,000 for a Chase Bin manufactured by the (new) Cooper Engineering Partnership of which he, Greg Dudley, was never a party to these proceedings. However, Mag. Panagiotidis had ex parte discussions and admitted him as an interested party. She erred as this Chase Bin was manufactured by the Cooper Engineering Partnership (a different partnership, i.e. different partners) well after the alleged bankruptcy and it is quarantined money of the (new) Partnership. Even in the case of the bankruptcy being legitimate (there was no personal service and the account had been paid), the Trustee has no place or claim on this partnership.

(b) Australian Financial Securities Authority (AFSA) web site clearly states that if a one party in a partnership is in trouble, the property is automatically distributed to the other partners.

(c) The property of a Partnership does NOT vest in a Trustee in Bankruptcy. S5C Bankruptcy Act 1966 and the Partnership Act 1891 (South Australia) s20 (2) makes this absolutely clear. The Partnership property in the land, does not vest in the Trustee in Bankruptcy and nor does any income derived from its use.

South Australia PARTNERSHIP ACT 1891 – s20 — Partnership property of firms other than incorporated limited partnerships:

1) All property and rights and interests in property originally brought into the partnership stock, or acquired, whether by purchase or otherwise, on account of the firm, or for the purposes and in the course of the partnership business, are called in this Act partnership property, and must be held and applied by the partners exclusively for the purposes of the partnership and in accordance with the Partnership agreement.

It appears the Rule of law means nothing in the Magistrates court, or worse, it is a 2-tiered legal

system. Cooper sent Show Cause demands to the complainants on the 24^th January, 2024, to flush out the snakes into the Magistrates Court action and it worked! CBS is the RAT since these investigators instructed the customers to make applications to their banks falsely claiming to have mistakenly paid to the wrong account (as if “in error”) to frustrate the manufacturing and fulfillment of the contracts. They were all directed to the banks by the CBS. The CBS then sent the Show Causes to the Crown Solicitor. Now the Crown is aware of the crimes committed by CBS and the co-opted complainants in the conspiracy to defraud Coop Eng.

NOW, the Crown needs to act!

To do nothing, the Crown becomes complicit in the crimes against Cooper Engineering.

1. Cooper Engineering is a legal partnership between Richard Cooper and his wife, Xiaoqing Sun, since October 2016 and formalised in March 2020. Coop Eng has a joint bank account between Cooper and Sun with Bank SA and has its own Australian Business Number and Tax File Number.
2. Many unidentified Department of Consumer and Business Services (CBS) bureaucrats, SA Police officers, Office of Public Integrity (OPI), Magistrates and Sheriffs have colluded to deny Cooper access to such things as: court records; transcripts; names of officers; writs of execution, entry, and possession; access to courts [for cross claims and to defend himself and the partnership]; the right to make formal statements; and, to obtain other pertinent details in order to seek remedy for the crimes of theft, fraud and trespass orchestrated by Chapman et al ; crimes which Police refuse to prosecute. All action offends 1914 crimes act commonwealth S4K, S35,36,41,42,43 and 87.
3. Richard Cooper had never previously come under any scrutiny of CBS or Police for non-delivery of goods.
4. Cooper only had one legal action pending at the time of these events from 6/2/18, pertaining to a bankruptcy application lodged by Selection Steel which was commenced in another state, without Coopers knowledge as court documents were served to a random person unknown to Cooper and to the wrong addresses no less than 15 times! Services was made to at least 3 different addresses and none listed on his credit application! At the time of this action, Selection Steel claimed Cooper owed them $20,000, despite having paid $10,000 and despite having $98,000 sitting in his bank account at the time. Throughout almost 7 months of court action regarding the illegal bankruptcy, Selection Steel also denied, in SWORN affidavits, not only the $5319 cheque cashed but not credited to the account, but 2 x EFT payments made in 2019, totalling $6,000 and ignored FOUR cheques presented in person to Selection Steel at Wingfield Adelaide across 2018 which were never cashed in. According to law, after three years, this constitutes “abandonment of payment” and, therefore, it is fraudulent and malicious to falsely and retrospectively represent to a court that payment had not been made. To add insult to injury, Cooper had overpaid Selection Steel by $3,000 and even bought $70,000 worth of steel in 2021 from them.
5. Coop Eng customers included FJ and JF Edwards (Jay Edwards), Glenlea Partners (Peter Williams), Chapman Family Farms (Christopher Mark, Fiona and Bryce Chapman), L and M Farms (Locky Wilson), P and L Webster Pastoral Company (Peter Webster) and Springbank Farms (Ben Light).
6. Chapman Family Farms (Christopher Mark Chapman) owed $116,000, plus extras required, for which he paid a payment of $53,000. (total $116.000 +$53,000 + tyres and wheels when they land). Chapman then claimed the $53,000 for the additions he required as a “payment in error, mistakenly made payment to a wrong account” and applied to Coop Eng’s bank for a refund.
7. L and M Farms (Locky Wilson) owed $188,600, with a deposit of $94,300. Chapman stole parts for the completion of this product, preventing Cooper from delivering the items and Wilson applied to Coop Eng’s bank for a refund.
8. P and L Webster (Peter Webster) owes $120,419, with a deposit of $60,208. Chapman stole parts for the completion of this product, preventing Cooper from delivering the items and Webster applied to Coop Eng’s bank for a refund.
9. Springbanks Farms (Ben Light) owes $123,530 with a deposit of $61,765. Chapman stole parts for the completion of this product, preventing Cooper from delivering the items and Light applied to Coop Eng’s bank for a refund.
10. Glenlea Partners (Peter Williams) placed an order for $98,846, with a deposit of $98,846. Chapman stole parts for the completion of this product, preventing Cooper from delivering the items and Williams applied to Coop Eng’s bank for a refund.
11. Jay Edwards failed to pay on completion as per the terms, but despite this Cooper acted in good faith. Three letters had been sent over 3 months, seeking payment and even offering to renegotiate suitable terms for payment and a later supply of another bin in the future, but no reply or payment was made, so 7 months later Coop Eng decided to advertise the Chase Bin for sale to recoup the sunk costs.
12. There were no Orders or Warrants for the seizure of any Cooper property until after 17/12/21 – more than 2 months after the break-in.
13. Chapman tried to bribe Cooper with $39k for weigh kit, brakes and fabrication time and then an additional $20k not to press charges. Cooper reminded him he was in default since 28/6/21 and that he owed $133,600 plus labour. Chapman agreed to pay and then inquired about the delivery of back-ordered parts.
14. The Chapmans illegally enter premises without going to the front door and knocking. The Chapmans had actually been there for TWO HOURS since 6.48am before they even bothered to text Cooper when they knew no-one was home. The Chapmans texts were sent just to cover up their crime in case they were caught. They did not knock on the front door because they knew no-one was home from their illegal activities the day before.
15. In front of Police Officer Geraghty, Chapman tried to bribe Cooper with $39,000 for weigh kit, brakes and fabrication time and then an additional $20,000 not to press charges. Cooper reminded him that he was in default since 28/6/21 and that he owed $133,600 plus default interest and labour. Chapman agreed to pay and inquired about the delivery of back-ordered parts.
16. Chapman’s daughter-in-law’s family has an engineering business, SA Quality Sheds in Auburn, so accessing and photographing intellectual property and taking parts for templates could have been a huge benefit and potentially lucrative.
17. Freedom of Information (FOI) applications for the recordings have been unsuccessful.
18. Chapman tendered a sworn Affidavit naming Geraghty as the officer who gave him advice and permission to enter Cooper’s property.
19. Bank SA in November 2021 advised Cooper that the false claims of misdirected payments to Coopers bank account by Chapman et al amounted to fraud. Despite this, the bank has failed to instigate any action against the said fraud, however, by letter in Jan 2022, Bank SA cleared Cooper of any wrongdoing, his account was subsequently unfrozen and it deemed the plaintiff’s claims frivolous and the contracts were legally binding.
20. Bank SA found that all of the above customers claims were fraudulent as they all knowingly, willingly, deliberately and unlawfully made false claims that they did not have contracts with Coop Eng.. Accordingly, this was a crime under the 1914 Crimes Act s43.
21. Cooper states: “Magistrate White (Case #CIV-21-011941) insisted I was a sole trader throughout and claimedthat I was a bankrupt (which I denied as I had a Federal Court action on foot and still do) and refused evidence on several occasions that the bin was the property of the Partnership and told me on several occasions to sit down, and words to the effect “You have no standing or authority in this court because you are a sole trader and a bankrupt” and “no standing as a manager acting on behalf of the Partnership.” The legal status of Coop Eng is that IT IS A LEGAL PARTNERSHIP and the partnership should have been taken to court, not Richard Cooper T/As Cooper Engineering. Consequently, Xiaoqing Sun’s property was recklessly given away by the Magistrate without her consent or being party to the court action and with no regard to the knock-on effect of Cooper’s customers not getting their orders fulfilled (thereby, stitching up the claims by CBS against Cooper).”
22. Cooper had several meetings and conversations with the local Member for Frome, Penny Pratt. In February 2022, Penny Pratt attended the Cooper Engineering XXXXXX residence as requested by the Coopers to resolve the case of why the policeman failed in his duty and did not charge Chapman for the break-in, trespass and robbery in October 2021 and January 2022. Penny Pratt refused to look at the CCTV evidence, Chapman’s false certificate to the court, make off with goods without payment and the 4 day robbery with the assistance of the 5 customers of who mistakenly made a payment in error. Penny Pratt’s advice was “I understand the robbery and trespass and the third-party theft. Richard, you and your wife need to walk away from this situation as these people, the Chapmans, have very powerful connections and you will never win even with the evidence”. This conversation was witnessed by a third party.
23. Document submitted to the Magistrates Court named Coop Eng as the entity for the seizure of property which would make it illegal for any party to seize goods belonging to a partnership, as all assets automatically transfer to the other partner in order to fulfill the legal obligations of that partnership.
24. Magistrate White wrongfully and unlawfully declared that Cooper had no standing or rights to a defence or counterclaim in her court due to being an alleged bankrupt.
25. Magistrate White gave verbal directives at least 5 times that Richard Cooper, Coop Eng is not to be informed about any dates or times of hearings or proceedings before the Magistrates Court and that he is not to be served copies of any applications or Orders before the Court.
26. When Cooper became aware that CBS had become involved, Cooper Engineering had 5 Chassis and Chaser bins under construction with a further 11 Bins ordered when supplies become available. CBS have only interfered with 5 customers, one of which has paid and taken delivery of their Chassis Bin and the other was stolen by Christopher Chapman. There are another 7 customers CBS have not engaged to testify against Coop Eng. CBS needs to cease and desist from interfering with Cooper Engineering’s business as they have caused 2 customers to cancel their contracts.
27. This may be because the (illegally appointed) Trustee in an earlier bankruptcy attempt had a hand in it; falsely claiming he had a right to a Partnership created after a “bankruptcy” imposed on Cooper without service (a requirement of the Bankruptcy Act) and, as has since been admitted in court, the debt being paid but not credited to the account.
28. There is no completion date on contracted tax invoice as supply of components and parts are not assured, however, Cooper had made requests for orders and parts and could demonstrate he had fulfilled his legal obligations. 
29. Chapman stole 4088 manufactured components valued at over $126,000 plus labour. The manufactured components and parts were for his and other customers’ bins.
30. Police Officers from Two Wells and Gawler offices were involved in this crime.
31. Cooper Engineering had approached a Senior Investigation Detective for an opinion regarding who was the driving force behind the above events. The officer formed the opinion that:1. Police officer Dennis Geraghty failed in his duty to arrest Christopher Chapman, Fiona Chapmanand Bryce Chapman for the forced entry, serious criminal trespass and robbery over the 3 daysin October 2021. (***NB: If he had arrested and charged the Chapman’s the following court matterswould have not occurred and Cooper Engineering would had recovered the stolen property. TheDetective is amazed Officer Geraghty has gotten away with this serious breach.)2. Christopher Chapman changing the terms and conditions from the original tax invoice to thefabricated false Tax Invoice he presented to the Magistrate court is a serious offence.3. Magistrate White seriously erred in failing to recognise the legal principles that apply to partnership property ownership and facts.4. The police officers, Stephen Rodell (#108052) and Brett Siddell (#74547), who attended on 11/1/22, failed in their duty to prevent the entry of the 14 unknown people.The Detective’s opinion asked, “Who has the capability to organise all of the 5 complainants in 3 states to make the same application to their banks of “mistakenly made a payment in error” at the same time?”. His answer: “Chapmans 5% chance and CBS 95% probability.”
32. On Friday 28^th October 2022, Cooper’s alarm was activated by the two CCTV cameras at the front of the house at XXXXXX TWO WELLS at 2.18am and 2.37am. While Cooper was 6+ hours away at Arno Bay for work, on viewing the CCTV remotely, he could see head lights at the front gate. Cooper finished the repair work on Monday night and travelled back home to XXXXXX TWO WELLS late Monday night. On Tuesday morning 1^st November, 2022, Cooper inspected the front yard and found some of the items Christopher, Fiona and Bryce Chapman had stolen on 9^th, 10^th and 11^th October 2021 and, on 11^th January 2022, with the help of 14 other persons (including the 5 other customers/ informants of CBS). Chapman had thrown wheel nuts, drive couplings, draw bar, spring hangers, and spring H brackets over the fence along with 137 letters stuffed into a bag (all had been opened); and a PTO Shaft which Cooper gave to the unidentified alleged Sheriff’s Officer on 11^th Jan 2022 which he put into Christopher Chapman’s Toyota Ute. All of this was captured on CCTV. How long before the above 4 become complicit? This was all reported to the police and they did not respond or make contact.
33. Wilson’s father-in-law, Bill Bourchier, came to Coop Eng to apologise for his daughter’s (Melissa) and son-in-law’s actions, which caused the Cooper bank account to be frozen. Bourchier explained that Wilson and Light had been “hit hard” with frost and subsequent loss of over 70% of their crops, causing significant financial hardship. When asked who put Wilson up to the fraud, Bourchier named Chapman.
34. There was a sixth party initially involved in attempting to reverse a transaction on Chapman’s/CBS’s instigation, however, he later recanted.
35. Webster made five requests for reversal of the deposit over 3mths. Light made six requests for reversal over 4 months.
36. A sworn Statement of Witness by Katherine Brown dated 11/8/22, shows that CBS at Paragraph 4 admits that Coop Eng is a partnership.
37. Chapman obtained an Order wrongfully naming Richard Cooper, not Cooper Engineering, on the document. Accordingly, by law, no property could be touched as all assets automatically transferred into the ownership of the other party/s in the Partnership arrangement.
38. The Hewetts confessed to the conspiracy in which they were coerced to engage by the CBS but they subsequently withdrew. They admitted that CBS instructed them to take their bin and not to pay for it. CBS also instructed them to attend Coopers property on the 11/1/22 at 10.00am.
39. Two letters were handed to the unidentified Sheriff on 11/1/22: 1) from Richard Cooper advising that there is no order against Xiaoqing Sun’s share of the property, and no one is entitled to steal – not even the police or sheriff. 2) Letter from the tyre dealer to advise a tradesman’s lien existed over the tyres which were not to be removed. Anybody authorising such action would be committing theft and liable. Note: in the event Cooper was bankrupt (challenged), partnership property vests with remaining partners. Cooper argued in court it was partnership property; the Magistrate told him he had no standing and both she and lawyer for Chapmans insisted he was a sole trader (despite the fact a partnership Tax File Number exists [GST paid], and a Partnerhsip ABN exists); therefore it is a separate legal entity. Is the law above the law if the law decrees it is?
40. The Order eventually produced did not specify the names of persons who were permitted to enter the Cooper property illegally, so the Sheriff had no lawful right to permit anyone and everyone to enter, unless included in an Order.
41. Cooper made a formal complaint to the Office of Public Integrity (OPI) on 11/1/22. On 29/3/22, Cassie O’Leary of the OPI refused to investigate clear evidence of crime, fraud and misconduct by State public servants on the irrelevant claim that there were court actions underway in another jurisdiction. This does not excuse OPI refusing to investigate misconduct by State government officials.
42. Police Internal Investigation Officer, Joanne Sherman, claimed Chapman had a legal right to enter when he came to the property over three days, cutting open fences without any warrant or order for entry at the time. When challenged about this account, Sherman refused to enter into any further correspondence over the lie and coverup by police.
43. Tyres valued over $34,911 not belonging to either Chapman or Cooper, were stolen despite Police being shown the tyres belonged to another customer. The customer’s pleas to the Police Minister, The Hon Vincent Tarzia, and current Police Minister, The Hon Joseph Szakacs, have been ignored and wrongfully deemed the personal property of Cooper and subject to the Orders obtained by Chapman (who had no lawful ownership rights to the property).
44. Seven months after Chapman stole the goods, Cooper was able to get Police Officer Heidi Beren from Gawler to agree to write an Affidavit, after she refused to accept a signed and sworn Statutory Declaration from Coop Eng, however, she refused to include key details about Cooper’s claims and claimed the theft, trespass and break-in were “a civil matter”. Heidi refused to document all the facts about the break-in, as requested by Cooper and Cooper subsequently refused to sign her false version of the crimes in question.
45. Police Minister’s office (Alison) admitted in a phone call on 23/2/22 that they never had a copy of the Warrant. How could the Minister then claim that “the warrant was clear in dispossessing any other personal property”, or that the customer’s “4 rims and 4 tyres formed part of the personal property that was dispossessed from Mr Cooper”. If they do not have a copy of it how can they make this statement, which HAS to be based upon the warrant?
46. Expert report should, among many other things, specify: grade, weight, origin of manufacture, source of origin of materials and axels, wheels, thickness of steel and components and wear resistant materials, tensile grade, etc…. All this detail is missing from the “expert” report, but it is crucial to distinguishing the superior quality of Coop Eng products from those made by novices and understanding the main reason why customers keep returning to Coop Eng.
47. The hours quoted by the “expert” for the Chase Bins are double that needed for the Chassis Bins, but for half the work required. The “expert” quoted 600hrs to manufacture a Chase Bin. In fact, 280-320hrs is needed to build a 400 bag Chase Bin. The “expert” then went on and quoted 400hrs for a 1200 bag Chassis Bin, and quoted 600 hrs for the second 1200 bag Chassis Bin. These bins are exactly the same size yet the expert offers a 200hrs build difference. In fact, it takes 640hrs to build a 1200 bag Chassis Bin. The expert then quoted 600hrs to manufacture a 2400 bag Chassis Bin. This Chassis Bin is double the size of a 1200 bag chassis bin with 2.3 times the materials required to manufacture. In fact, it takes 860hrs to build a 2400 bag Chassis Bin.
48. The “expert”, it appears, has never manufactured any Chassis bins and had not made many Chase Bins to qualify as an “expert”.