Family stoush fuels $350 fine for Monkland mother

The woman appeared in Gympie Magistrates Court to plead guilty to unauthorised dealing with shop goods

A Monkland woman who drove off without paying for $60 in diesel fuel will now have to pay an extra $350 as a fine after pleading guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court.

What was a $60 petrol bill has instead cost a Monkland mother more than five times that amount after she failed to pay for the fuel before driving off.

Christina Mary Platten had pulled into a Goomboorian service station on February 12 to refuel when she became embroiled in an argument with her daughter, Gympie Magistrates Court heard.

The 45-year-old then got back in her car and drove away instead of paying.

Magistrate Graham Hillan accepted Platten’s guilty plea to a charge of unauthorised dealing with shop goods, but chided her for the “silly” mistake of not going back to the station and paying for the petrol once she realised what she had done.

He fined Platten $350 and ordered her to pay $60.02 in restitution.

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Originally published as Family stoush fuels $350 fine for Monkland mother