09-07-2025
Kevin Bloom convicted, fined for stealing sheep from Mount Carmel property
A Victorian man has been fined for stealing livestock from his neighbour after police used DNA testing to prove who the animals belonged to.
Strathdale resident Kevin Bloom, 34, pleaded guilty to the theft of 11 crossbred sheep worth $1,300 from a Mount Carmel property between December 30, 2023 and January 3, 2024.
The 34-year-old was fined $2,000 in Bendigo Magistrates Court today.
The court heard Bloom, who runs a small sheep operation near Mount Camel with his father, stole the sheep from Jeffrey and Mary Healy.
Neighbour Alister Safstrom was alerted to the crime when he got a notification that his electric fence had been cut on January 3, 2024.
Later that day he saw Bloom on their shared fence-line with about 30 sheep, which were moved to the Bloom's shearing shed.
Mr Safstrom filmed Bloom loading the sheep and contacted police, who ordered livestock agency McKean and McGregor to contact them if "the accused presented sheet for sale at the Bendigo Livestock Exchange."
On January 7 Bloom brought 19 crossbred sheep to the Bendigo saleyards and provided a false national vendor declaration form claiming he bred the sheep himself.
Detective Senior Constable Gregory Broom attended the Bendigo saleyards and requested sheep not be sold.
Several days later the Healys said 18 of their sheep were missing and police began a formal investigation.
The following week police from New South Wales took tissue samples from the sheep at the saleyard and from the Healys' remaining flock and sent them to the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
"Analysis of the results confirmed 11 out of the 19 sheep which the accused presented for sale of the Bendigo Livestock Exchange had direct DNA lineage back to the mob of sheep that remained at the property belonging to the victims," prosecutor Jaidyn Taverna told the court.
He said seven sheep the Healys reported stolen were not found.
In sentencing Magistrate Jarrod Williams said he had to take into account Bloom's criminal history, which included the theft of a fish tank from a pet store in November 2019.
A few weeks later Bloom stole two surf and turf meals along and 12 pots of beer with a total value of $102.
Magistrate Williams said Bloom had breached his neighbours' trust and shown a "degree of preparation" that showed the crime was "financially driven".
"Farmers for a long time throughout Australian history have worked together, particularly when thing are tough," he said.
Bloom was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
In March Bloom was also ordered to pay $2,093.32 in court costs after eight witnesses were brought to the Bendigo Magistrates' Court for a committal trial that did not proceed.
