Four people will face court over an alleged stealing of a horse in the state's west earlier this year.
In April 2025, officers attached to Orana Mid-Western Police District and Rural Crime Prevention Team (RCPT) commenced an investigation following reports of a horse being stolen.
Police were told a 46-year-old woman has put her Mare horse at a paddock in a rural property on Hillside Drive, Dubbo, on Thursday 24 April 2025, before she found the horse was missing at about 4.30pm on Friday 25 April 2025.
A crime scene was established, and police commenced an investigation into the incident.
On Wednesday 18 June 2025, detectives executed three search warrants in Dubbo, Tea Gardens areas:
- About 8.30am on Wednesday 18 June 2025, detectives, with the assistance from Western Region Operations Support Group, executed a search warrant at a home on Bunglegumbie Road, Dubbo, where they spoke to a 23-year-old woman and seized an amount of cannabis, Cocaine, Methylamphetamine and mobile phone devices for a forensic examination.
- About 8.45am on the same day, a simultaneous search warrant was executed at a motel on Yalinbah Road, Tea Gardens, where police spoke to three people – two men aged 44, 19 and a 42-year-old woman – before they seized an amount of methylamphetamine and cannabis along with documentation and electronic devices.
- About 10.50am on the same day a subsequent search warrant was executed at a property on Viney Creek Road, Tea Gardens, where they allegedly located and seized two horses – including the one from Hillside Drive property. They were later taken to their owners.
Following further inquiries, on Thursday 25 September 2025, police have charged the four people they spoke to during search warrants in June 2025.
- The two women were both charged with two counts of steal cattle value more than $2000 and less than or equal to $5000.
- The 44-year-old man was charged with steal cattle value more than $2000 and less than or equal to $5000, enter non-agricultural land commit prescribed offence, and posses prohibited drug (two counts.
- The 19-year-old man was charged with steal cattle value more than $2000 and less than or equal to $5000 and enter non-agricultural land commit prescribed offence.
They were all issued a court attendance notice to appear at Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday 12 November 2025.
