General News
16 January, 2026
POLICE NEWS: Other Stuart Mill property theft, drivers caught under influence
Here's a wrap of what the St Arnaud police have been up to over the last month.
THIEVES have forced entry to sheds on a rural property on Thwaites Road, Stuart Mill last month.
Item’s alleged to have been stolen include batteries, an inverter, a welder, metal detectors, motorcycle helmets, four motorbikes, and a quad bike.
Offender/s attempted to steal a trailer and vehicle however it was abandoned near the original location.
Cash stolen
BETWEEN December 14 and 16, 2025, the amenities building and a donation box was broken into at the Kooreh Hall on the Wimmera Highway. Cash was stolen from the donation box.
Slaty Creek burglary
THIEVES have forced entry through a gate and to a shed on a rural property on St Arnaud – Charlton Road, Slaty Creek between December 28 and 30 2025, attempting to steal a motorbike and a ute.
Erratic vehicle
AT 2.04pm on the December 30, 2025, St Arnaud police found a vehicle driving erratically on Melbourne Road, St Arnaud.
Police allege the vehicle crossed double white lines while exiting the roundabout.
The vehicle was stopped and the 46-year-old Coonooer Bridge driver was spoken to. During a search of the vehicle police found what they allege was a quantity of cannabis.
The driver was drug tested and police allege it returned a positive result for cannabis.
To make matters worse, the vehicle was unregistered.
The man was transported to the St Arnaud Police Station where police allege he refused to accompany them for a blood sample. The driver will attend court at a later date where he faces the prospect of losing his licence for a minimum of two years.
Drug arrests
ON JANUARY 2, St Arnaud police saw a 29-year-old man from St Arnaud walking on Wills Street whilst appearing to be drug affected.
Police conducted a search of the man and allege they located approximately two grams of methylamphetamine on him.
He was then arrested and interviewed for possessing methylamphetamine and will appear before the St Arnaud magistrates court at a later date.
Licence suspension
ON JANUARY 5, St Arnaud police were patrolling the Wimmera Highway, Logan when at 1.53pm, they observed a vehicle allegedly driving to St Arnaud at 141km/h.
Police stopped the vehicle and spoke with the male driver, a 25-year-old male from Keilor East, who was issued with a penalty infringement notice of $763 along with a six-month suspension.
Early morning catch
AT AROUND 2:50am on January 6, St Arnaud police were patrolling the St Arnaud response zone before turning their eyes to a vehicle on the Wimmera Hwy heading towards St Arnaud.
The vehicle had three people including the male driver, a 32-year-old from St Arnaud who allegedly tested positive to a preliminary roadside drug test.
He was taken to St Arnaud Police Station for further testing which confirmed the driver allegedly had illicit drugs in his system.
The vehicle was also issued an unroadworthy vehicle notice.
The man will appear at court at a later date. It’s a very real possibility he and his passengers could have been involved in a serious collision.
Any information about criminal activity or the above crimes, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online. You can call the 24/7 Police Assistance Line (PAL) on 131 444 or contact the St Arnaud Police Station.
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