Home

Garry Lee Barnes fined for stealing hours after leaving the courthouse for prior stealing offences

Headshot of Breanna Redhead
Breanna RedheadBusselton Dunsborough Times
Busselton Courthouse.
Camera IconBusselton Courthouse. Credit: Busselton Dunsborough Times/RegionalHUB

A Busselton man charged for stealing left Busselton Courthouse and later that afternoon was caught committing another stealing offence.

Garry Lee Barnes appeared in Busselton Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing, a fortnight after being in court for similar charges.

On June 14, Barnes attended Busselton BWS at around 10am where he took a bottle of Deep Woods Estate rose off the shelf and placed it down the front of his pant before exiting the store.

Later that afternoon, Barnes returned to the store where he took another bottle of rose, a four-pack of bourbon and bola, and a bottle of moscato, all of which was captured on CCTV.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

It was submitted the offences came as Barnes, a rehabilitated drug abuser, was struggling with a relapse in alcohol abuse after a car crash earlier in the year, the injuries from which caused him to lose his job.

Magistrate Keane said it was disappointing to see him committing crimes “almost immediately” after being charged for prior offences.

“I saw you in court on June 14 for previous stealing charges and you’ve gone straight out and done it again,” she said.

“You’ve worked so hard to move away from your drug addiction, so don’t let alcohol ruin your life again.”

Barnes was charged a global fine of $400 for both offences, along with relevant court costs.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails