Amy Leigh Foster in court for stealing from BCF

A Gympie hairdresser held her baby as she walked out of BCF Noosa with fishing gear concealed in her pram. Read how she almost ended up in jail:

Southside hairdresser Amy Leigh Foster in court for stealing, barely escapes jail.

A 33-year-old Southside hairdresser has narrowly avoided jail after pleading guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to stealing fishing gear from Noosa BCF for a man she met online.

Amy Leigh Foster was on parole at the time of the theft, from previous dishonesty offences involving almost $100,000 of goods from October 2020, as well as a suspended sentence from August 2021.

The court heard that on February 15, 2023, Foster carried her year-old child and used the baby’s pram to conceal and steal $109.90 worth of fishing gear for a person she had met on an online dating app.

Southside hairdresser Amy Leigh Foster in court for stealing, barely escapes jail.

Acting magistrate Raelene Ellis said Foster had been in court already on three separate occasions and was still offending despite the court’s leniency.

Ms Ellis argued against submissions from both police prosecutor Christie Mahoney and defence lawyer Chris Anderson to keep Foster out of jail.

“For the last two and a half years, the community has continued to be impacted by her dishonest decisions,” she said.

“I've certainly sent people to jail for this type of offending with a dishonest history.”

Foster’s suspended sentence was imposed for stealing a wallet from the Gympie Jockey Club and trying to use the credit card, Sergeant Mahoney said.

“They were attempted because the person had noticed that the card was missing and had already put a stop to it,” she said.

Queensland Corrective Officer Sinead Johns said Foster had “remained ambivalent” to drug rehabilitation, “not engaged in meaningful intervention during her parole period” and “was recommended as being unsuitable for community based orders”.

Southside hairdresser Amy Leigh Foster in court for stealing, barely escapes jail.

Mr Anderson said becoming a mother was a “strong motivating factor” for Foster to engage in rehabilitation services.

“I have no drug test to indicate that she stopped taking drugs, I have no evidence that she’s even made that (drug rehabilitation) appointment,” Ms Ellis said.

Mr Anderson responded by bringing forward a screenshot of confirmation of a Drug Arm appointment made the previous week.

Foster, in bursts of tears, stood as Ms Ellis read out her sentence, quoting the case of Anderson, where a woman was sent to jail for three months after shoplifting at Coles in order to feed herself.

“Firstly, I don't agree that an actual term of imprisonment would be manifestly excessive,” she said.

“She had 13 dishonesty offences and I noticed you have 16 dishonesty offences on your history.”

Ms Ellis left no uncertainty about another chance.

“Next time bring your toothbrush,” she warned.

Foster was sentenced to an intensive corrections order for three months.