The facilities were not critically damaged and the port was able to resume exports with barely an interruption. The remaining explosives were defused by bomb expert Jack Billing, who was flown to Bunbury from Perth. Meanwhile police located Michael and John within a week. In court, the two men pled guilty to the charges whilst justifying their actions with the argument that limited violence against industrial equipment would prevent greater violence against the unique environmental heritage of Western Australia's native forests. The two men were sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with a minimum term of ten months. Mr Justice Jones said that he believed that the two men had been motivated by a higher ideal and were unlikely to commit the same offence again. This attracted criticism for being too lenient and an appeal by the Crown led to an increase in the minimum term to three and a half years.
