Elly Kitching: Young mum steals pram from Baby Bunting, asks for ‘refund’

A ‘naive and stupid’ plan has ended with court for a 19-year-old Ipswich mum who asked a store to refund her the price of a product she stole from them just 24 hours prior.

A young Ipswich mum foiled her own plans when she returned to the baby goods store she stole a $499 pram from just 24 hours prior and asked for a refund, a court has heard.

Elly Kitching, 19, from Brassall appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday, February 25, where she pleaded guilty to one count of stealing.

The court heard that about 10am on January 9 this year the mum-of-two entered the Booval Baby Bunting store along with two men, two children, and a pram.

After looking around the store for some time, one of the men in the group left the premises with the pram they had originally taken in.

Meanwhile, Kitching placed her baby in a new, unsold pram and wheeled it out of the store without paying.

She returned to the store with the stolen pram the next day, telling Baby Bunting staff she had purchased it in July last year and wanted a refund.

An employee told her she could not return the pram as it was outside the 30-day period in which refunds could be processed.

Kitching left the store.

Elly Kitching.

Police attended Kitching’s home address on February 4 to speak with her about the incident and she admitted to stealing the pram.

Appearing unrepresented on Friday, Kitching told Acting Magistrate Geoffrey Seaholme she was a full-time mother of two children.

She said she lived with her partner and relied on Parenting Payment.

Mr Seaholme acknowledged Kitching’s lack of a criminal history, her young age, and the fact she had two young children.

“It might have seemed like a great idea at the time but it was a rather naive and stupid plan,” he said.

Kitching was released on a 12-month $500 good behaviour bond.

Mr Seaholme said that had she had any criminal history whatsoever he would have taken “a different course” with his sentence.

No conviction was recorded.