Judge-alone trial — entering land with intent to commit offence — vandalising beehives — stealing beehives — Crimes Act 1961, s 231A. The defendant faced three charges of entering land with intent to commit an offence. He was alleged to have entered land belonging to two of his neighbours (the complainants), and vandalised and stolen their beehives. The complainants had found their beehives vandalised and some missing. Police investigating the offending found the beehives on the defendant's property nearby. The complainants identified the beehives as belonging to them. One of the officers, as well as an employee of a beekeepers' agency, both mentioned that the defendant had made comments to suggest that he resented the complainants' bees for taking pollen and nectar from flowers and trees on his property. The defendant denied the offending and said that the beehives on his property belonged to him. The Court rejected this explanation and found that all elements of the charges were proven. The defendant was found guilty. Judgment Date: 25 January 2023