Sarah Persechino pleads guilty to stealing, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, possession of dangerous drugs

A magistrate has questioned whether an Ipswich single mum has realised the peril she has put herself in by saying: “Where will her children go if she goes into prison, does she have an answer to that?”

A Ipswich woman has pleaded guilty to a series of offences including petrol drive offs.

A mother of six has been warned to think about her family the next time she considers stealing or taking drugs.

Magistrate Dennis Kinsella told Sarah Persechino when sentencing her to a supervised probation order it was likely to be her last chance to stay out of jail.

“Where will her children go if she goes into prison. Does she have an answer for that?” Mr Kinsella asked her lawyer.

Appearing before Ipswich Magistrates Court single mother Sarah Jayne Persechino, 36, from Riverview, pleaded guilty to eight counts of stealing; unlawful use of a stolen motor vehicle; two counts of being in possession of dangerous drugs (suboxone and methylamphetamine); driving when drug positive; and failing to attend court.

The offences all occurred between October 28, 2020 and June 10.

Magistrate Kinsella said the stealing charges were a case of Persechino making a nuisance of herself at service stations by committing drive-off offences.

Prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull sought a jail penalty of six to nine months for the unlawful use of a car, saying it could be immediately suspended.

Police submitted that a 12-month probation order was an appropriate penalty for her drug offences.

No agreed police facts were read onto the public record in the open courtroom.

Defence lawyer Dylan Hans said a probation order would be an appropriate penalty.

“She has not yet reached the stage where a prison term (is considered),” he said.

“The (stealing charges) are fuel drive-offs.”

Mr Hans said it was clear that drug use was behind the offences committed by Persechino, who is a single mother with six children.

“She has no priors for unlawful use (vehicle). Her ex-partner is now in prison. She has not had drug counselling,” he said.

Mr Hans said there were large gaps in her criminal offending and an 18-month to two-year supervised probation order would be a deterrent.

“This will probably be her last chance,” Mr Kinsella said before commenting on what would happen to her children if she continued to offend and went to jail.

The question of financial restitution to be paid to the businesses she stole from was also discussed, with Sgt Turnbull saying someone pays for the crimes at the end.

Mr Kinsella said it was likely to be customers when they pulled up at the fuel bowsers.

He told Persechino she was, “a blade of grass away” from going into jail but if she agreed to comply with all conditions to help get her back on the straight and narrow he would order probation.

The mother agreed to do the required programs and to undergo urine tests.

Persechino was convicted and sentenced to a two-year probation order and ordered to pay $155.92 compensation.