Trent Michael Harkness: ‘Kleptomaniac’ jailed for string of South West thefts totalling more than $13,000

A self-professed “kleptomaniac” responsible for a string of thefts across the South West amounting to more than $13,000 has been placed behind bars. Trent Michael Harkness, 41, appeared in Bunbury Magistrates Court on Thursday via video link from Bunbury Regional Prison where he was sentenced for the crime spree which included 21 charges of stealing, three charges of burglary, two charges of possessing stolen or unlawfully obtained property, trespassing and possessing cannabis. The court was told of numerous occasions in which Harkness would enter local grocery and retail stores, fill a trolley with hundreds of dollars worth of items and then exit the shop’s fire exit or warehouse doors. Other cases saw the man shoving items down his pants before exiting stores without paying for the products. The most significant incident was on September 1 last year, when Harkness stole $1251 worth of items from Target at Primewest Bunbury Centre Point. His second largest scheme saw him take $1219.81 worth of groceries from Woolworths Busselton, telling police he was trying to “help out families in need”. After another incident in which the man stole $488.07 worth of meat and a smart TV from Coles in Eaton, Harkness told authorities he was a “kleptomaniac” and “couldn’t stop”. Following seven months of thieving, the value of stolen products — which including groceries, alcohol, electrical devices, clothing and e-bikes — totalled to $13,437.68 The man’s lawyer told the court his offending was the result of a “snowballing effect” relating to “significant” drug use issues. It was further revealed the stealing resulted from strict bail conditions which prevented the man attending most retail stores. The duty lawyer also submitted the man admitted to being “disgusted” in his own behaviour, and since being in custody had made “significant improvements” to his drug addiction. Magistrate Benjamin Tyers handed down a sentence of 14 months imprisonment, with additional fines a total of $3500 and a further $3222 to be paid in compensation. He said the man had “come to the end of the road” in sentencing options. “You violated the safe space of those people and had taken valuable items from them,” he said. “I certainly hope that you have reached the realisation that this sort of behaviour is not doing you any favours.”