A teenager who became an instant millionaire after winning a fishing competition has made a shocking confession on live television.
Keegan Payne made headlines across Australia on Sunday after catching a $1 million barramundi in Katherine, 317 kilometers south of Darwin.
His catch was tagged as part of a Million Dollar Fish angling competition that lasted nine years.
However, their celebrations were interrupted by a tough question from Sky News Australia presenter Peter Stefanovic on Wednesday morning.
Stefanovic asked directly if there was any truth to the rumors that Keegan had once stolen an ATV and a quad bike from a business.
In a surprising admission, Keegan said the allegation was true and offered a sincere apology to his former boss for stealing from him.
Keegan Payne (pictured) won $1 million by catching a 67cm barramundi in a fishing competition in the Northern Territory.
‘There is a claim online that you and your friends stole and damaged a Polaris Ranger and a Polaris quad from a company a few years ago. First of all, is that true? —Peter Stefanovic asked.
Mr Payne replied: “Yes.”
“So what happened?” Stefanovic asked.
Keegan, who seemed genuinely remorseful, told Stefanovic that he and his friend “weren’t thinking at the time” and that he “very much” regretted his actions.
WhatsNew2Day Australia can now reveal the teenager is back in touch with his old boss, Bob Cavanagh of Cav’s Mowing, and has offered to pay him back for the stolen vehicles.
“Out of the blue this morning, his dad called me and said, ‘Keegan wants to pay you,’ and you could have knocked me down with a feather,” Mr. Cavanagh said.
“He said Keegan had always felt very bad about what he did.”
The teenager will pay his former boss Bob Cavanagh after stealing two vehicles
Cavanagh hired Keegan as a laborer for his grounds maintenance business when he was 15.
But during the Covid lockdowns, Cavanagh decided to move to Queensland and left his team unsupervised.
Keegan and a friend took the opportunity to steal his quad and buggy.
‘They were only 16, you know? “There aren’t many of us who get through life without getting stuck at some point,” said Mr Cavanagh.
‘If they can give you a second chance, that’s what I was willing to do for those two kids. I hope you made the best of it.
“There’s no point in going through this life holding grudges.”
Cavanagh said the robbery was a “one-off” mistake by a “good guy.”
Keegan Payne (pictured) thought the 67cm barramundi he picked up from the Katherine River on Sunday would make a good meal for his family.
‘Keegan was doing very well. We were training him on different things, and then the first COVID lockdown hit in the Northern Territory.
“It was a difficult time for everyone, but I think it was particularly difficult for Keegan and his teammates.”
“When I realized he was stealing the vehicles and connected the dots, I set myself the difficult task of calling his father, who I have known for over 20 years,” Cavanagh said.
“I had to say, ‘Look, I think your young man has been involved in a robbery,’ and he said, ‘Oh, that explains it, he’s been very quiet.’
Cavanagh received another call half an hour later and was told Payne had admitted taking the quad and buggy.
“I organized a meeting at my house with the two children and their parents and we sat under a tree at home and talked,” he said.
“We had some pretty big contracts that we needed to take care of and I asked him, how are we going to do it now?”
‘It was about showing the consequences they had done. Keegan felt terrible, you know?
The teenagers agreed to work for Cavanagh on weekends to compensate him for the damage they caused, but the deal fell through after two weekends due to a lull in business.
“He ended up working as a janitor at a nursing home. “I saw him eight to 12 months later and he still couldn’t look at me, he was so ashamed of what he had done,” Cavanagh said.
Payne said his family (pictured) can now afford to take a holiday and is planning a trip to the United States.
Payne made headlines across Australia after collecting the $1 million prize for his 67cm barramundi on Tuesday.
‘This is crazy for us. We are a great family. We are eight. This is more money than we could ask for. “This is just fantastic,” Payne said at the ceremony.
‘It means a lot. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I’m happy, vey happy.
He added that “I can buy whatever I want, maybe help mom and dad with the mortgage loans,” and said the family can now afford to take a vacation and is planning a trip to the United States.
Payne also plans to buy a new boat and car this week.
Each season, more than a hundred specially tagged fish are released into waterways across the Northern Territory as part of a tourism campaign.
Most of these fish are worth $10,000, while a select few take home the grand prize of $1 million.
Cavanagh described Mr Payne (pictured winning the prize money) as a “good boy” who made a “unique” mistake.
