Amber Taylor Priestley steals from unconscious victim in Surfers Paradise

A Gold Coast woman has been told she showed ‘humanity in its lowest form’ through her ‘abhorrent’ actions. Find out what happened here.

A woman has been slammed for “showing humanity in its lowest form” after stealing from a man who had just been knocked unconscious in the middle of Surfers Paradise.

Amber Taylor Priestley and a male friend were speaking with another man at the top of the stairs near the Circle on Cavill just before 7.30am on April 4 last year.

Southport Magistrates Court was told Priestley’s co-offender suddenly punched the other man in the head.

Police prosecutor Andrew Smith said the victim was unable to break his fall and crashed to the ground, cutting open the back of his head.

He said the other man was still motionless as Priestley helped herself to his belongings.

“(Priestley) removes a Lacoste satchel bag from the victim while he was unconscious,” Sen Const. Smith said.

“(She) then removed his electric scooter from underneath his body.”

Amber Taylor Priestley (right) leaving the Southport courthouse with her lawyer Jason Grant. Picture: Jessica Paul

The court was told CCTV footage showed Priestley rummaging through the victim’s bag minutes after the attack.

Sen Const. Smith said the 23-year-old was riding the man’s e-scooter and still had his bag when she was found by police.

“The victim was in and out of consciousness for minutes, (and) also had three seizures,” he said.

“He was later diagnosed with a brain bleed and needed to be intubated.”

Priestley served four months of a nine-month jail sentence handed down last year before being released on parole, the court was told.

Defence lawyer Jason Grant said his client’s criminal history showed a “drug-fuelled spate of offending”, but she was now focused on her rehabilitation.

“She’s had no issues with parole, she’s not been returned to prison whatsoever,” he said.

Magistrate Ron Kilner was not willing to let Priestly walk free without a strongly-worded warning, telling her this latest offending showed “humanity in its lowest form”.

“Quite frankly, I don’t know what possesses people like you to steal from people who are unconscious on the ground,” he said.

“I hope you take stock of yourself and appreciate what an appalling act it was.

“It is absolutely abhorrent that anybody would do what you did with your co-offender on that occasion.”

Priestley pleaded guilty to one count of stealing.

She was sentenced to three months’ jail with immediate parole.

Originally published as Amber Taylor Priestley steals from unconscious victim in Surfers Paradise