New Zealand backpacker one of three charged for breaking into Gold Coast mansion

Three backpackers have been charged for breaking into a Gold Coast mansion and swimming in the pool and allegedly stealing food from the fridge. Photo / Channel Nine

A Gold Coast man has told the peculiar tale of how he came home to find three backpackers swimming in his pool and allegedly stealing food from the fridge.

Terence O'Sullivan told 9 News that he received a rather strange phone call from his wife on Friday telling him that a number of men had broken into his multi-million dollar property and were swimming in his pool and had raided his refrigerator.

The three men aged in their 20s had been partying on one side of the canal when they decided to swim across into O'Sullivan's home, the Daily Mail reports.

Reports say the American, New Zealand and British men broke in, used the pool, the toilet and stole food from the refrigerator before fleeing.

While in the home the men are also said to have played loud music and taken a bamboo pole.

O'Sullivan said that he took several photos of the alleged thieves who took offence to be photographed.

"They realised what the purpose of the photos were and then the three of them came after me," he said.

"They just sort of grabbed me and I grabbed them and we just sort of rolled around, one of them was swinging a flare at me."

The three men have since been charged by Gold Coast police with burglary and assault occasioning bodily harm.