Caleb Reuben Faulkner to remain behind bars for “persistent” breaches of restraining order

A young Dunsborough man will remain behind bars for repeatedly trespassing into empty holiday homes and attending his mother’s workplace despite being bound by a restraining order.

Calen Reuben Faulkner, 24, appeared in Bunbury Magistrates Court on Thursday via video link from Bunbury Regional Prison where he was sentenced for three counts of trespassing without lawful excuse and 17 charges of breaches of a family violence restraining order relating to his mother.

In January 2022, Faulkner’s mother took out a restraining order on him preventing him from making any form of communication with her, including attendance at her workplace, Coles Dunsborough.

Between August 6 and October 26 of the same year, Faulkner made 17 separate visits to the supermarket, putting him in breach of the order.

Further on October 12, the man was seen shirtless inside a Dunsborough holiday home by a neighbour of the property, who knew the property was unoccupied as its owners were away in Perth.

After taking a picture of the offender, causing Faulkner to flee the home on bike, the witness sent the image to police, who later identified him.

Then on October 20, another holiday home owner in the area attended their property in the late evening, discovering a variety of items on the porch of his property including a sleeping bag, e-scooter, food and medication with Faulkner’s name on it.

When Faulkner returned to the house later that night, he apologised to the owner, gathered his belongings and left the house.

That same night, the owner of the first property saw Faulkner enter the pool house of the neighbouring house, shouting out for him to leave or he would contact police.

Faulkner called back, telling the man he was homeless and had no where to live but the man again told him to leave.

He was arrested on October 26 and has remained in custody since.

The man’s duty lawyer told the court the offender was in fact homeless and had been sleeping in bushland and house surfing since his release from prison for a prior conviction of similar charges in May 2022.

The court was told the man was also banned from Dunsborough IGA so needed to go to Coles for food as it was the only other supermarket in the town, ensuring his mother was not present at the time of his visits.

The prosecution however, did not accept these submissions, revealing that Faulkner was a “third time offender” for breaches of the order, describing the behaviour as “persistent.”

Magistrate Joanne Andretich said while she viewed the breaches as being at the “lower level” of offending, they were “collectively serious” and therefore needed to be dealt with “severely” due to the impact the behaviour would have had on the victim.

“The reality is you keep going back ... you keep doing it and it’s repeated offending,” she said.

She handed down a total prison term of seven months for the breaches, along with a global fine of $1500 for the trespassing charges.