A CHARGE against a man accused of stealing a bag of coal attracted no penalty in Mandurah Magistrates Court on Friday.
Stephen Richard Wilson pleaded guilty to the offence which happened on April 15 this year.
The court heard Mr Wilson (58) stole the 25kg bag of coal worth $7 from the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway (HVTR) yard.
Representing himself, Mr Wilson said he took the coal for a family member doing a project on carbon.
After he was charged Mr Wilson said he offered the HVTR $50 in compensation and was asked to make a further $100 donation to the railway.
Mr Wilson said he apologised to the HVTR and told the court an investigating police officer had said it was the “most trivial theft charge he’d ever dealt with”.
Magistrate Vivien Edwards granted Mr Wilson a spent conviction and recorded no penalty except to pay HVTR $7 in restitution.
