A teen thief who was handed just two months' jail for stealing more than $80,000 worth of cash and goods has had his sentence quashed by Northern Territory Chief Justice Michael Grant for its "manifest inadequacy".

Key points: Chief Justice Michael Grant said 24 months would be a reasonable starting point for sentencing

Chief Justice Michael Grant said 24 months would be a reasonable starting point for sentencing The robbery at Bathurst Island's general store has left the owner with "stress, sleepless nights and anxiety"

The robbery at Bathurst Island's general store has left the owner with "stress, sleepless nights and anxiety" Three offenders caused more than $10,000 worth of damage during the burglary and stole more than $80,000 worth of cash and goods

Shaun Apuatimi was 18 years old when he robbed the Wurrumiyanga general store on the Tiwi Islands around 3.30am on March 12, 2018.

With two juvenile co-offenders, Apuatimi helped himself to $72,860 in cash plus a grab bag of prepaid mobiles, phone and fuel cards, groceries, clothing and sports bags, cheques, DVDs, video games and a quartz watch, worth altogether more than $10,000.

While in the store, the trio also committed $11,000 worth of property damage including destroying an ATM, smashing cigarette cupboards and security mesh and damaging CCTV equipment.

He was arrested for the crimes on March 19.

Sentence was 'grossly inadequate'

For the offences, which the Supreme Court heard left the store's owner with "stress, sleepless nights and anxiety", Apuatimi was handed a two-month sentence by an NT Local Court judge on August 29 last year.

NT Chief Justice Michael Grant has slammed the sentence for "manifest inadequacy". ( Supplied: NT Supreme Court )

Chief Justice Grant on Wednesday overturned the Local Court's ruling.

"The imposition of a head sentence of two months for this offending was plainly, obviously and grossly inadequate," he said.

"The appellant's submission that in the ordinary course a starting point of something in the order of imprisonment for 24 months would have been within range may be accepted as a general proposition," he said.

Lesser offences attract two years: Chief Justice

In justifying his decision, Chief Justice Grant said the sentence imposed "must ultimately reflect both subjective factors and the objective seriousness of the offence committed".

"And in striking the balance there must still be a reasonable proportionality between the sentence passed and the circumstances of the crime," he said.

Wurrumiyanga, on the Tiwi Islands, where a man's store was trashed and goods stolen. ( ABC News: Stephanie Zillman )

"The sentence cannot be less than the objective gravity of the offence requires."

The property damage offences alone, Chief Justice Grant said, "in the ordinary run might have been expected to attract a sentence to imprisonment of something in excess of six months" and that lesser stealing offences could attract up to two years.

The case will return to Wurrumiyanga Local Court on January 22 for the offender to be re-sentenced.