Fine for Katanning man who ‘had a tantrum’ and smashed ATM for ‘making fun’ of him after card declined

A Katanning man who “had a tantrum” and smashed an ATM that was “making fun” of him after his card was declined has been fined. Hser Nay Thoe, 31, appeared in Katanning Magistrates Court on April 21, and pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage. Hser Nay Thoe was using the ATM at Commonwealth Bank in Katanning on April 14 when his card was declined because of low funds and he was unable to take cash out. In response, he picked up chunks of loose concrete from nearby and threw them at the ATM, smashing its screen. Police prosecutor Sgt Dylan Fisher told the court when Hser Nay Thoe was arrested he said to police that “the ATM was making fun of me”. Lawyer Lucy Bourne said her client, who migrated from Myanmar in 2013, was very frustrated at the ATM and he was “having a bad day already”. Ms Bourne said Hser Nay Thoe was very sorry for his behaviour and he understood he should not have done it. Sgt Fisher said behaviour like Hser Nay Thoe’s was what ruined services in small towns, as if resources were destroyed there was no guarantee companies would replace them. Magistrate Rosemarie Myers said Hser Nay Thoe’s actions had a very large impact on the entire community, which was unable to use the service until it was repaired; and he risked the future of a vital service in the town because he “had a tantrum”. She took his early plea into consideration for sentencing, and noted it had been some time since his last offence. Hser Nay Thoe was fined $1250 and ordered to pay costs of $160.50. He was ordered to repay Commonwealth Bank for the damage. Ms Myers said she expected the bill from the bank to be a “significant amount of money”.