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Margaret Joan Brown pleaded guilty in Chinchilla Magistrates Court to 17 offences including stealing, common assault, break and enter

A southwest Queensland mum who assaulted a man and rammed a trolley into a shop assistant has appeared in court from custody after racking up 17 charges including numerous break and enters.

Justice scales generic.
Justice scales generic.

A St George woman who spent 92 days locked up in custody has been released on parole after racking up 17 charges across southeast Queensland.

Margaret Joan Brown, 34, pleaded guilty in Chinchilla Magistrates Court to five counts of stealing, two counts of possessing tainted property, two counts of enter dwelling and commit,

attempted break and enter, unlawful possession of suspected stolen property, common assault, failure to appear in court, driving uninsured and unregistered, driving with a cancelled number plate and failure to take proper care of a syringe or needle.

Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins told the court Brown’s various offences were committed over a seven month period from November last year until June 2023.

Mr Hutchins said on November 9, 2022 Brown was spotted approaching the victim, slamming a car door into him, spitting at him and taking her shoe off before throwing it at him.

“Police spoke to her and she said he said something about her (family) so she bashed him,” Mr Hutchins said.

On May 19 Brown was back to her usual tricks at the Forest Lake Woolworths where she loaded a shopping trolley with mixed goods valued at $700 without making any attempts to pay.

On June 1, police received a call of a break in at an Indooroopilly address with the victim claiming her mobile phone was missing.

Seven days later, police arrested the defendant and amongst her were items found from that address including the missing mobile phone.

jail cell generic
jail cell generic

On the same day as the Indooroopilly break in, Brown was busted attempting to break into another Indooroopilly address.

Later the same day, Brown was observed shoplifting two Nike tops valued at $79.99 each at a Brisbane Rebel Sport store.

“A staff member has attempted to assist her, (she said) ‘get out of my way, you bitch’ and rammed the trolley into the staff member’s leg.

“The defendant has then left the store without attempting to pay.”

Defence lawyer Michael Corbin said his client was a mother-of-six and her intention was to return to St George with her family and children.

Acting magistrate Gary Finger said he acknowledged her 92 days spent in custody, her now 15 page criminal history and the two suspended prison sentences she breached.

“You’re in custody because you committed these offences, that’s why you’re there,” he said.

“So you’ve got to wake up to yourself, no court in the land is going to grant you bail.

“Whether it’s driven by drugs or not driven by drugs, I don’t know.

“The courts have had a gutful of seeing you, that’s what it’s come down to.

“Until you wake up to yourself, everyone that is associated with you including your family is going to suffer.”

Brown was sentenced to a total of 27 months’ imprisonment for breaching the St George Magistrates Court suspended sentence and handed a 12 month prison sentence for her most recent offending.

“I agree that if I make the period of 12 months accumulative, that is added onto the 27 months, it would be crushing for you, so I’m not going to make them cumulative,” he said.

The 92 days spent in custody was declared as time served and Brown was released on immediate parole.

Brown was recommitted to the Brisbane District Court for a date to be fixed, where she will be resentenced for breaching the other suspended prison sentence.

Convictions were recorded.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/chinchilla/police-courts/margaret-joan-brown-pleaded-guilty-in-chinchilla-magistrates-court-to-17-offences-including-stealing-common-assault-break-and-enter/news-story/8458e68a94db7eab58f603138372c08f