Kahlee Maraea Northcroft pleads guilty to fuel, driving offences in Bundaberg court

Police told a court a woman who went on a crime spree across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Bundaberg and Gympie should never be allowed to drive again.

Kahlee Maraea Northcroft went on a crime spree across south-east Queensland.

A former government employee who stole fuel across Queensland before the law caught up with her has faced Bundaberg Magistrates Court on 41 charges including driving a car at a person she was arguing with.

Kahlee Maraea Northcroft, 35, appeared by videolink from custody in court, where she pleaded guilty to a range of offences including stealing, fraud, possessing dangerous drugs and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

From April 2, 2021 until November 24, 2022, Northcroft committed dozens of crimes across the state, starting with a fuel drive-off at Kingston.

A day later, she was charged with stealing after an offence in the Gold Coast suburb of Mudgeeraba.

On September 8, she stole at Algester and four days later carried out forgery with uttering where she attempted to take over a lease at Calamvale.

Then she was caught driving on a disqualified licence at Wilsonton near Toowoomba on January 6 last year, while on the 15th she was charged with stealing and driving on a disqualified licence at Harristown.

By April 30, she would be charged with fraud in the Brisbane suburb of MacGregor, with additional fraud charges at Upper Mount Gravatt and Charlton near Toowoomba on May 2 and 3.

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One week later, Northcroft was again caught driving on a disqualified licence at the Gold Coast suburb of Worongary where she faced an additional charge of possessing dangerous drugs.

On June 15, she was charged with the unlawful use and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in Oakey in the Toowoomba region after she drove a rented car which she’d failed to return and used it to drive at a person she was involved in an argument with.

Kahlee Maraea Northcroft faced the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on a raft of charges.

The court heard the defendant drove at the victim, attempting to both reverse into and drive at them, mounting the kerb in the process. Her licence was still disqualified at the time.

It was only three days later that the defendant would once again be charged in Oakey for driving on a disqualified licence, obstructing police and possessing dangerous drugs, being small amounts of meth and marijuana.

But on August 23 she would offend again, and was charged with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

On October 10, she she as charged with stealing after a previous conviction after an offence in Gympie.

She was also charged with stealing after a previous conviction in the Bundaberg suburb of Thabeban in Bundaberg three days later.

On November 5, she would be charged once again with stealing after a previous conviction in Annerley and five days later she’d be charged with the offence again after committing a crime in North Bundaberg.

On November 24 she was caught driving on a disqualified licence with drugs in her system at Gooburrum at Bundaberg and taken into custody.

Northcroft was also found to have broken bail conditions and failed to report to police or court on numerous occasions.

She pleaded guilty to all charges.

Police told the court that Northcroft was a recidivist offender with a history of dishonesty and traffic offending, and that “it took a prison term to stop her offending”.

The court heard Northcroft would place fuel in her car then either claim she’d misplaced her wallet or would just drive away.

The prosecution argued for Northcroft to be handed a “licence disqualification absolute”, meaning she would not be able to apply for a licence in Queensland again without permission.

Northcroft’s lawyer Lavonda Maloy said her client previously lived in Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns, held a Certificate II in business administration, worked for large government organisations and had been employed in aged and disability care.

Mrs Maloy said Northcroft had bipolar disorder and depression and since being in prison had reached out to mental health services.

Magistrate Edwina Rowan told the defendant she had been fortunate no injuries had resulted from her driving the car at her victim during the incident at Oakey, explaining how the defendant had caused the witness to dash out of her way as she drove at speed and on the wrong side of the road during the incident.

It was also heard that when Northcroft was stealing fuel she would either drive away or tell counter staff she couldn’t find her wallet but would then fail to follow up on payment.

Ms Rowan said Northcroft needed to be supported and she hoped she would take positive steps towards rehabilitation.

Northcroft, who had served 91 days in custody, was handed a 12-month head sentence with parole from March 24, 2023.

The defendant will be on parole for eight months after her release.

She was disqualified from driving for a total of nine years and three months.