The trio that stole the Big Bird costume in Adelaide have admitted it was an “impulsive” joke that went horribly wrong and they didn’t know how valuable it was.
Tasman Binder, 23 of Murray Bridge, Cody Alain Milne, 26 of Norwood, and Amelia Margaret Hurt, 21 of Woodville Park, all admitted to stealing the $160,000 costume, walkie talkies and an iPod from the Sesame Street Circus Spectacular between April 18 and 19, 2021 at Bonython Park.
They each pleaded guilty in February to one aggravated offence of dishonestly dealing with property without consent.
The Adelaide Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday was told the self dubbed “Big Bird Bandits” were driving home from picking up a subwoofer speaker they found on Facebook Marketplace when they drove past the circus and pulled over.
The two males exited the vehicle, made their way inside the tent and saw the costume hanging up on a coat hanger, thinking it would be “funny” to take it with them.
Hurt was only involved when she saw her friends with the costume and picked up the bird’s legs to help them put Big Bird in the car boot, the court was told.
The housemates at the time then went straight home and later woke to international media coverage of the theft.
Lawyers Mark Twiggs, for Milne, and Joseph Henderson, for Binder, argued the pair did not plan on stealing the costume and were unaware of its value.
Both said the men were dealing with a shared “significant personal trauma” at the time of the offending and were remorseful.
They requested their clients receive a good behaviour bond rather than jail time.
Mr Twiggs said his client was “disappointed” that Hurt was caught up in the proceedings and felt “he let her down” because she had little involvement.
“They had no intentions to ever keep Big Bird … That (following) night they decided to return it and at no stage did they know of the seriousness of it until it hit the press,” he said.
“It was impulsive.”
Mr Twiggs said a criminal conviction would impact Milne’s future employment in childcare.
Mr Henderson said his client was not a “typical criminal” and understood his “youthful misadventure” was no joke.
He said the men didn’t realise they possessed the walkie talkies and iPod until they found them inside the costume, once home.
“When (Binder) took the costume, he simply didn't think. It wasn’t accompanied by the criminal intent that you see of theft of this nature … to go and sell it,” the lawyer said.
Sean Richter, for Hurt, said the paramedic student who was “well thought of, studious and hardworking” contacted police after they released CCTV footage of her.
He asked that she be spared a conviction and penalty, gxjmtzywiven her little involvement.
“This foolish escapade should not damage her for the remainder of her working life. She’s a very young woman and was a periphery of this offence,” Mr Richter said.
The prosecutor said the circus director had stated the offending impacted his business and risked Sesame Street cancelling their contract.
She said CCTV footage showed the culprits had “little regard” for the property and could have damaged it as they threw the costume into the car boot.
“It is a serous example of theft because of the value of the property, the interference of the integrity of the property, the possible repercussions to the business and that on all accounts, the primary purpose was for fun or a joke with no regard given to the impact it may have had on the owner,” the prosecutor said.
She said a conviction should be recorded for all defendants as well as a jail term, because the offending was serious and it would act as a deterrent for the community.
Milne and Binder also pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with their bail agreement, after they stayed at the Crown and Anchor Hotel in Adelaide past their curfew and saw each other on May 16, 2021 in breach of their conditions.
The trio will be sentenced later this month.
