Darwin dad Russell Knight pleads guilty to Lambells Lagoon bonsai heist

A single dad looking to feed his green-thumb dreams stole dozens of bonsais from a Top End nursery. But this was not the only hobby he was ready to break the law for.

A bonsai bandit who targeted a Top End nursery twice to feed his “hobby” has admitted to hawking the stolen plants online.

Russell Benjamen Knight appeared in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to trespass and theft, stealing from a Darwin comic book store and a nursery to feed his hobby habits.

Judge David Woodroffe heard the 46-year-old father stole up to 42 bonsais from a Lambells Lagoon nursery over two separate break-ins in July and April.

Mr Woodroffe said within 23 minutes Knight was able to break into and steal $1500 worth of bonsai plants on April 9.

Only 83 days later Knight struck the same business again, walking away with a further $1500 in miniature plants.

Russell Benjamen Knight appeared in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to trespass and theft, stealing from a Darwin comic book store and nursery to feed his hobby habits.

Knight advertised the stolen plants on Facebook marketplace, but was unable to sell a single pot.

But police were able to use the ad to track down the plant poacher’s home address, seizing a total of 42 plants.

Between the two bonsai heists, Knight tried to steal his way into another hobby by taking $36 worth of model paints from a comic book store on May 11.

“It’s quite unusual circumstances,” Mr Woodroffe said.

“You have a keen interest in horticulture and these particular plants

“It is very important for you to have a hobby and a great passion, but you can’t steal (for it).”

His defence lawyer Luke McLaughlin said Knight — using his own client’s choice of words — “was an idiot, and he admits that”.

Russell Benjamen Knight appeared in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to trespass and theft, stealing from a Darwin comic book store and nursery to feed his hobby habits. Â

While Knight had suffered some public embarrassment from being “named and shamed”, Mr McLaughlin said the single father’s biggest concern was the opinion of his son “who looks up to him like a hero”.

“He’s done some stupid things in recent times … but after today you will never see him again,” Mr McLaughlin told the judge.

The court heard Knight previously ran his own bonsai business, and the single father was currently working with children with disabilities.

Mr Woodroffe convicted Knight and fined him a total of $2050 for the two counts of trespassing and three theft pleas.

He was also ordered to repay Comics NT $136 for the stolen paints.