It was a twist not many people saw coming. McKeown had claimed his ute was stolen from a mate’s place in the Bayside suburb of Wynnum in the early hours of Saturday, November 8, while he slept off a few beers.
He put Arnie in the back with some water when a few minor scuffles broke out with his friend’s kelpie, the story went.
The commercial buildings along Amelia Street in Fortitude Valley.Credit: Dominique Tassell
Over the next 10 days, the couple did multiple high-profile media interviews calling for the thief to return their dog and offering a $6000 reward, garnering 17,000 likes on the Facebook page.
Police and civilians spent countless hours searching for the animal, with tips about his possible whereabouts streaming in from around Brisbane, and even as far as Hervey Bay.
“I haven’t been sleeping well over the past couple of nights,” Nathan McKeown told Nine News on November 10.
CCTV from an Amelia Street business shows the ute glide by on the night he claimed it was stolen, but gives no indication of who was driving it.
The family posted photos on a Facebook page established to help find Arnie.Credit: Nine News
Police allege that Nathan McKeown drove it there around 10.30pm on Friday, November 7, walked away and never returned.
It is alleged that the following morning, he told his wife the ute had been stolen. She then called police, who said they believed she had wholeheartedly believed him.
Nine News Queensland visited the McKeown home on Thursday and Friday, but could not reach the family. This masthead has also contacted Nathan McKeown separately.
Brisbane City Council did not reply to questions about whether parking inspectors flagged the vehicle as suspicious while it was parked in a metered zone for more than a week.
Nathan McKeown is expected to appear before a Brisbane court next month.
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