Townsville mum Tori Rose Truswell sentenced over 33 theft charges
Watch the video as an associate of a Townsville mother-of-three lashes out after the mum was sentenced over 33 charges including assaulting a cop.
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A young Townsville mother who went on a stealing spree before seriously assaulting a police officer has avoided jail.
A court has heard how mother-of-three Tori Rose Truswell, 27, was hit with 33 charges following a six-month period of law-breaking where she showed a “lack of regard for anyone else”.
Police prosecutor Luay Allawy said on July 21, 2021, Truswell went on a $400 spending spree, which included buying groceries, alcohol, and phone credit, with a credit card found in a $300 wallet left on the bench in Kmart.
On November 24, she returned to Kmart where she loaded up kids backpacks with stolen stationary items before refusing to have her bags checked and creating a commotion before leaving the store.
On December 26, Truswell, an unlicenced driver, drove off from a crash without providing her details
Two days later, Truswell and two accomplices stole alcohol from Dan Murphy’s Dalrymple, before stealing T-shirts from Anaconda, and a Google Nest Mini from Joyce Mayne.
They then became involved in a fight between themselves at IGA Domain, throwing items around the store before Truswell stole soft drink and bubblegum.
When police caught up with the group, they resisted arrest with Truswell refusing to be handcuffed and kicking an officer in the stomach.
She later stole a litre of Bundaberg Rum from BWS Willows on January 23 and was charged with trespassing after breaching a 12 month banning notice at Stockland on February 9.
Truswell appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Thursday when she pleaded guilty to serious assault and obstruction of police, five counts of stealing, stealing after a previous conviction, 18 counts of fraud, wilful damage, enter premises with intent, trespass, breach of bail, and driving infringements.
While the prosecutor acknowledged Truswell had a limited criminal history containing dishonesty offences, he said there needed to be deterrence for this kind of behaviour.
Truswell started crying after Mr Allawy urged the magistrate to put her behind bars.
Defence lawyer Kerri Patterson said her client was a single mother of three children who had been experiencing trouble with the kid’s father at the time of the offending.
Ms Patterson said Truswell had grown up in a dysfunctional household where there was abuse and drug addiction and she had sought help through a Sisters Inside program.
She urged the magistrate to impose probation combined with community service.
Magistrate Ross Mack described Truswell’s behaviour as “appalling” and a “disgrace”, where she had shown “breathtaking arrogance”.
Urging Truswell to “charter a different course” to avoid seeing her children placed in foster care while she was in jail, he sentenced her to two years probation, 150 hours community service, fined her $550, and ordered $233 be paid in restitution.
He recorded convictions and disqualified her from driving for one month.
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