Shaun Grant Sermon: Man accused of alleged crime spree across Great Southern region goes to trial

A Katanning man accused of committing a host of offences across a range of Great Southern shires in 2024 and 2025 has entered guilty and not guilty pleas, with his case proceeding to trial. Shaun Grant Sermon, 34, appeared in the Katanning Magistrates Court on October 14 to enter pleas on 29 charges, including breaching police orders, home burglary, trespassing, stealing, possessing prohibited drugs, and wilfully misleading a person performing a function under a road law. Defence counsel Georgia Herford said negotiations had been under way with the prosecution at Mr Sermon’s last appearance, but they had proven unsuccessful. Mr Sermon pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine, possessing stolen property, attempting to gain a benefit by fraud, and driving with a prescribed illicit drug in his system while his licence was disqualified. The 34-year-old pleaded not guilty to 23 charges that included stealing, aggravated burglary, criminal damage or destruction of property, breach of police order, and no authority to drive while disqualified. The charges stem from alleged incidents in Kojonup, Jingalup, Woodanilling, Wagin, Broomehill West, Davenport, Katanning, and Mt Barker from June 25, 2024-May 10, 2025. However, Mr Sermon’s case was moved to the Albany Magistrates Court for his trial allocation hearing as Ms Herford noted evidence in Mr Sermon’s impending trial would hinge on a listening device operated by Albany detectives. Police prosecutor Sgt Warrick Walker agreed it would be easiest to move the case to Albany to accommodate police witnesses in the trial, and estimated two to three days for a trial. Mr Sermon’s trial allocation date was set for November 6 in the Albany Magistrates Court, with Magistrate Erin O’Donnell excusing him from attending so he could complete a residential drug rehabilitation program.