Eliza Phillips pleads guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to break in
A drunken night out has landed an apprentice hairdresser from Ipswich in hot water after she broke into a popular Brisbane furniture store and urinated on the floor.
Police & Courts
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An apprentice hairdresser with her “life ahead” of her has landed herself in criminal court for trashing a popular Brisbane furniture store after a night of drinking.
Eliza Ngakorowai Phillips faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, December 21 and pleaded guilty to breaking into JasonL Office Furniture and committing an indictable offence.
The Silkstone woman was said to have broken into the Fortitude Valley business with friend Danella Louise Roberts about 4.42am on May 8 this year by kicking in a glass panel and crawling through the gap created.
Once inside, the pair filmed themselves using Ms Phillips’ phone as they damaged an extensive amount of property belonging to the business.
The court heard they pushed over cabinetry, pulled display chairs off wall mounts, punched and ripped light furnishings, threw items and food from drawers, sprayed detergent across walls, let off fire extinguishers and urinated on a wall and carpets within the premises.
Police prosecutor Jack Scott said the victim business suffered a “substantial loss of profit” as a direct result of the pair’s actions.
He noted the young woman made “full and frank” admissions to police once she was identified and called to a station, stating she was “extremely intoxicated” when she offended.
Defence lawyer Bill Siganto said his client understood her behaviour, which came after a night of drinking with a friend, was “completely unacceptable” and inappropriate.
He explained his client was well-educated and had a good work history, having completed Year 12 at Ipswich school Redbank Plains State High and started a hairdressing apprenticeship.
The 20-year-old recently secured a new position working in warehousing but expressed a desire to finish her apprenticeship in the future.
Magistrate Mark Nolan said it was “hard to comprehend” what compelled Ms Phillips to behave the way she did, calling her actions “extraordinary” and “really serious”.
He noted the significant distress she must have caused the owner of JasonL Office Furniture.
Taking into account her early plea of guilty, lack of a criminal history and displays of genuine remorse, Mr Nolan ordered Ms Phillips pay $751 restitution to the victim business as well as a $500 fine.
Ms Phillips‘ co-offender Ms Roberts earlier received the same penalty.
No conviction was recorded.
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