Liam McPhee sentenced in Toowoomba court for Bunnings Warehouse stealing spree
Despite being banned from every Bunnings in Queensland, a regional Queensland man continued targeting high-priced tools until police ended his stealing spree.
A grief-stricken man triggered into relapse was caught stealing high-priced tools from Bunnings, despite being barred from all Queensland locations.
Liam Patrick McPhee, 34, pleaded guilty before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on December 2 to ten charges including five counts of stealing, three counts of trespass and two counts of using false licence plates.
The court was told McPhee targeted multiple Bunnings Warehouse locations, including across the Darling Downs, starting in June of 2025.
Police prosecutor Anita Page said the former operations manager would select high-priced items, typically valuable tools, and crudely conceal them before attempting to leave the store.
On multiple occasions he was caught before exiting the store, with the items seized.
As a result of his behaviour, McPhee was banned from all Bunnings Warehouse locations in Queensland; however, this did not stop his looting habits.
Defence solicitor Alysha Jacobsen advised the court McPhee had a very limited and dated criminal history.
She added McPhee had suffered immense grief at the passing of his father in April 2022, causing him to relapse into drug misuse.
“One of his issues is the use of methylamphetamine, he accepts that he has had an issue with that for a number of years,” Ms Jacobsen said.
“He first started using it when he was 26 years of age and that was to cope with the extremely long stressful days as an operations manager.
“He intructs he was able to stop that use for a number of years and stay completely drug free but, unfortunately, when he lost his father, he instructs he spiralled out of control and he returned to that drug use.”
Ms Jacobsen said McPhee explained the thefts were a means to fuel his drug habit.
“Essentially, (he wanted to) sell the items with his intention to get money for drugs,” Ms Jacobsen said.
She added McPhee now claimed to be sober of drugs, attending rehabilitation treatment in the months leading up to his arrest in September.
Ms Jacobsen clarified he ceased any formal drug addiction support following his offending.
McPhee was ordered to serve 40 hours of community service, to be completed within 12 months.
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Originally published as Liam McPhee sentenced in Toowoomba court for Bunnings Warehouse stealing spree
