Two men, one of them represented by former federal attorney-general Christian Porter in his return to the legal profession, have been found guilty of "the highly sophisticated" theft of hundreds of guns from a shop in Perth's south.
A District Court jury deliberated for two days before convicting Ashley Kane Christensen, 29, and James Egan, 32, of stealing the 200 guns from the Claremont Firearms store in Yangebup in November 2019.
The court was told the crime was well planned, with holes cut in two concrete walls to gain access to the shop's secure vault.
One of the holes was likely to have been cut in the days before the burglary and then covered up to conceal it.
State prosecutor Laura Christian SC said adjoining properties had been used to gain access to the shop, with CCTV from nearby businesses in the days before showing figures in dark-coloured clothing moving around courtyards.
The court also heard a camera which had been facing the doors of the gun shop was later found attached to another nearby building.
Some of the stolen guns were discovered four days after they were stolen, when a man going for a walk in in the Beeliar national park during his lunchbreak noticed tyre marks leading into the bush.
He investigated and found a firearm magazine and a plastic case sticking out of the ground, as well as a receipt with the name of the gun shop on it.
Police were called and they found various items, including some of the stolen guns, in six different holes.
Both Christensen and Egan denied having anything to do with the heist, but they were each of convicted of aggravated burglary and stealing as well as the theft of a vehicle from another business that prosecutors said was used in the crime.
Christensen was also found guilty of setting fire to that vehicle in the hours after the theft.
Christensen was represented by Mr Porter in the former member for Pearce's first case since his return to the legal profession following his departure from federal politics.
A third man, Nicholas Ronzitti, 28, had also been on trial accused of taking part in the theft. While he was found not guilty of involvement in it, he was convicted of being an accessory after the fact.
All three will be sentenced next month.
Christensen and Egan were again remanded in custody, while Ronzitti was granted bail.
