Bunbury man fined for stealing liquor for cash to buy baby formula

A Bunbury man has been fined more than $2000 for weapons offences and liquor thefts in Bunbury and Perth which he claimed were done to support his children. Nathan Trent Thorne, 21, appeared via video link from Hakea Prison in Bunbury Magistrates Court on Thursday after already being convicted on two weapons charges, two counts of stealing and one count of breaching a bail undertaking. Thorne pleaded guilty to a third charge of stealing, added during court on Thursday. On September 7 at 12.30pm, Thorne entered Liquorland Australind with a face covering on and went into the coolroom. He selected a carton of Jim Beam bourbon, at which point he was approached by a staff member, who he ignored. Thorne then tried to leave the store without paying for the bourbon but was stopped at the door by a staff member and a customer. He told the staff member to “get out or I’ll f...... smash you”, and then left the store without paying for the bourbon, all of which was captured on CCTV. On that same day, Thorne was riding a bike through Australind with a friend when he approached an elderly man in his garage about a motorcycle the man had advertised for sale. During their conversation, Thorne asked if he could borrow the man’s air pump to pump up his bike tyres, which the man agreed to. While pumping up the tyres, Thorne’s jacket became loose, revealing a machete which was being held against his lower torso. The elderly man became fearful of the weapon and asked Thorne and his friend to leave. Then later that same evening in Glenn Iris, Thorne visited family members and asked to be driven somewhere, and produced the same machete, and placed it along with a bum bag on the passenger seat of the car. His cousins in the car became nervous of the weapon and because Thorne was drinking. On November 28, Thorne was caught stealing a trolley full of groceries from Coles South Fremantle. He claimed that the thefts — including the liquor — were to help his partner and two young children, because he had planned to sell the stolen booze to buy baby formula. He was also confused regarding his family’s reaction to the weapon, as he believed he had spoken to his family in “a nice way”. Magistrate Joanne Andretich said the offence of carrying a weapon was “very serious” and noted Thorne had been in detention since November 28. Thorne was given a $2500 fine, as well as an order to pay $141 in court costs.