Michael Adam Lockwood: Wickepin man fined $2000 for trespassing on farmland to steal yabbies for family dinner

A Wickepin man who “just wanted yabbies to eat with his mum” has been slapped with a $2000 fine for trespass and stealing. Michael Adam Lockwood pleaded guilty to two counts of trespass and two counts of stealing in Narrogin Magistrates Court on Tuesday. The 45-year-old intentionally trespassed on Wickepin farmland and set six yabby traps around the property’s dam between February 21 and 28. The owners discovered the yabby traps and informed Wickepin police. When Lockwood returned to the property, he realised the traps had been found and removed. On March 10, the owners of a Gillimanning farm found him hiding in his car on their property in the middle of the night. Prosecutor Sgt Warrick Walker said the farmers had started monitoring their property after recent trespass warnings in the area. Lockwood admitted to the owners he had placed three yabby traps in their dam and was taken to the police station, where he repeated his confession and apologised. “He just wanted yabbies to eat with his mum,” defence lawyer Jamie Archer said. “He didn’t recognise the seriousness of his actions.” Magistrate Erin O’Donnell said it was a serious offence because of Lockwood’s premediated trespass, “specific intent to harvest the yabbies” and the farmers’ obvious concern of this behaviour due to them monitoring their land. Lockwood was given a global fine of $2000 and $300.50 in costs.