A YOUNG man went on a five-month long rural crime spree, torching abandoned homes, tractors and hay bales, breaking into remote properties and stealing firearms and committing an act of cruelty on a mob of emus.
Brendan Cannard, 19, appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via audio visual link from jail where he pleaded guilty to a string of offences, including destroying property in company using fire, possessing firearms, break and enter and armed robbery.
Cannard will next appear in Newcastle District Court in February to get a sentence date.
Rural crime investigators established Strike Force Carribee in October last year to investigate a number of arson and break-in offences in the Upper Hunter.
In September, two computer terminals were damaged by rocks at a coal mine at Glennies Creek before a vacant house on Middle Falbrook Road, two hay bales and two garbage bins were destroyed by fire.
Later in September, three firearms were stolen from a rural property at Milbrodale and on Christmas Day a tractor was found burnt out at Tilpa. In February, Cannard and another man were armed when they held up a service station at Dunolly. After Cannard's arrest in February, police found five firearms hidden in PVC piping in bushland at Bridgman.
As well as the break-ins and arsons, Cannard pleaded guilty on Wednesday to "committing an act of cruelty upon a mob of emus" at White Cliffs.
Cannard's co-accused, Brandon Stephen Kennedy-Jones, did not enter any pleas on Wednesday and his matter was adjourned until next month.
