Ashleigh Jade Anderson pleads guilty to shoplifting, drugs in Bundaberg
A Bundaberg mother described as a ‘prolific and persistent’ thief has faced court from custody after a hitting myriad businesses in her latest stealing spree.
Police & Courts
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A woman with a history of shoplifting found herself back before a court for offences she committed less than a week after her last appearance.
Ashleigh Jade Anderson appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court via videolink from custody on December 20, where details of her offending between November 1 and December 5 were heard.
She first entered Bargain Central in Sugarland Plaza, hiding $140 worth of tools and hardware in her shopping trolley while only paying for one $6 item.
She then went to Kmart where she used a similar strategy to take $25 worth of home furnishings.
On December 5, she went into OPSM and stole a pair of Oakley sunglasses worth $289 by placing them in her handbag.
When police caught up with her at Woolworths, Anderson was caught red-handed with $189 in groceries she hadn’t paid for.
Officers carried out a search and found a pocket knife and digital scales in her bag.
A search by a female officer located a bag of tablets which contained two separate prescription drugs.
On November 16, Anderson was in a car that was pulled over by police, with officers finding a glass pipe in and 1g of meth in her possession.
The court heard Anderson was a “prolific, habitual and persistent” offender who stole to feed her drug habit, and that the mum had only been dealt with for similar offending days before she started again.
Anderson’s lawyer told the court it was a clear “wake-up call” for the 30-year-old.
Magistrate Edwina Rowan said Anderson had not made use of the support services made available to her.
Anderson pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including four of stealing after previous conviction, possessing S4 or S8 medications, three of possessing utensils, two of possessing dangerous drugs and one of possessing a knife in a public place.
She was sentenced to six months’ jail, with immediate parole.
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