Meth user Lacey Jade Hopgood stole money from Coffee House Apartment Motel while working there as a trainee manager
During a drug raid at a woman’s North Rockhampton residence, she refused to give police access to her mobile phone claiming she had “particularly personal photographs” on it. Read about the full depth of her offending here.
Police & Courts
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A woman who stole cash from her Rockhampton employer while working there as a trainee manager, was on probation and a suspended sentence for drug offending at the time.
Lacey Jade Hopgood, 37, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 28 to nine charges including stealing as a servant, stealing, possessing cannabis, contravening a police order, contravening a police requirement, and two counts each of possessing a restricted drug and drug utensils.
The court heard that Hopgood’s offending happened over a five-month period last year, between May and September.
In relation to one of the more serious offences, stealing as a servant, Hopgood was working at Coffee House Apartment Motel in Rockhampton as a trainee manager when she stole $810 cash from the business.
Police Prosecutor Brandy Butler said on May 8 last year, the manager of Coffee House Apartment Motel had left Hopgood in charge of the day-to-day running of the business as he had personal matters to attend to.
“Before leaving he left $810 in cash from takings, secured in the safe,” Ms Butler said.
Ms Butler explained that part of the manager’s duties was to take that cash to the bank.
Two days later, the manager returned to the business after his time away and everything appeared in order.
Then after two more days, the manager discovered that the $810 in cash had been removed from the safe and a bank cash deposit slip had been filled out, dated May 10.
As part of the business’ banking process, the employee doing the banking was required to get a hard copy receipt after depositing money, which was returned to the business.
Ms Butler said on this occasion, the manager could not find the receipt where it was supposed to be filed and he subsequently sent Hopgood a number of text messages asking where it was.
“The defendant replied on numerous occasions that she’d done the banking and the receipt was in her handbag, however she left her handbag in a friend’s car,” Ms Butler said.
“She maintained her story for a number of days.
“She then changed her story stating that the bank, or she, must have f---ed up because she doesn’t have a receipt.”
When the manager made enquiries with the bank, it was discovered the $810 was never banked.
Hopgood was charged and her employment at Coffee House Apartment Motel was terminated.
In relation to the contravening a police order charge, Ms Butler said on July 12 last year, police attended a Norman Gardens house where they executed a search warrant in relation to drug matters.
Hopgood and a man were residing there at the time.
Hopgood had an iPhone and police saw a message visible on the locked screen of the phone.
Police explained the warrant and the consequences of failing to comply with it.
“Police provided the defendant with numerous opportunities to comply with the order, however she switched her versions between stating she couldn’t remember the (phone) PIN, and blatantly refusing to comply with the order,” Ms Butler said.
“And she ultimately failed to do so.”
During the search, police found a freezer bag containing 0.3 grams of cannabis inside a coffee table drawer.
Officers also found a container with 0.1g of cannabis in it, and next to that was a used water pipe.
Police found more cannabis, 28g, inside socks in a toolbox.
Two types of restricted drugs were also seized, as well as other drug items from different locations throughout the house.
In relation to the stealing charge, that related to Hopgood attending Foodworks at Monto on September 6.
Ms Butler said on that morning, Hopgood approached the counter and asked for packet of tobacco worth $55.95.
The attendant placed the tobacco on the counter while using Hopgood’s card to process payment.
After the attendant told Hopgood that the attempt to pay had failed, Hopgood picked up the tobacco and the card and left the store without making any attempt to pay.
The attendant tried to prevent Hopgood from leaving but she exited the shop and left in a vehicle.
The court heard that when Hopgood committed the offences, she was on probation for “a number of drug offences” and she was also on a suspended sentence for drug possession.
Ms Butler said Hopgood’s traffic history was “littered with numerous drug-drive offences”.
“Some of the drug-drive offences pre-date the start of her criminal history, which only commences in December 2018, which would indicate that there has been a long-standing history and issue with drug use by this defendant,” Ms Butler said.
The prosecution submitted a term of imprisonment was appropriate, up to the 12-month mark.
Solicitor Jess King said in relation to the restricted drugs found in Hopgood’s possession, that was three tablets in total.
In relation to the stealing as a servant offence, Ms King said Hopgood, a mother of two, had taken the banking and filled out the relevant slip with her name on it, placed that in the safe, and gone home.
“She instructs that she had worked, what she called three sleepover shifts, which is effectively working throughout the day, remaining at the hotel itself overnight, and working again the next day, for three days,” Ms King said.
“She said as a result of that, she was tired, and rather than go straight to the bank she went home to sleep...”
Ms King said after Hopgood woke, she didn’t attend to the banking and she ultimately spent the money.
“She can’t recall specifically what the money was spent on,” Ms King said.
“She does indicate that there were some financial pressures that she and her partner were experiencing at the time.”
Ms King said the stealing was “opportunistic”.
In relation to not giving police access to the mobile phone, Ms King said Hopgood had taken her partner’s advice not to give that information to police, and further “there were a number of particularly personal photographs on the phone”.
Magistrate Cameron Press then said “pulling that one, the photographs on the phone”.
“Well, did she offer to remove those photographs from the phone and delete them, if they’re very personal, and then give the information to police?”
Ms King replied: “No, Your Honour.”
Mr Press then said: “I have trouble accepting. I know one court’s accepted that as an excuse - I don’t accept that as an excuse.”
Ms King, after taking instructions from Hopgood, said Hopgood didn’t know that was an option for her at the time.
Ms King said the toolbox the largest amount of cannabis was found in belonged to Hopgood’s partner and he had pleaded guilty “in relation to that offence as well as the utensils”.
Ms King tendered a copy of the partner’s criminal history to confirm that.
“Your Honour will see from that criminal history of Ms Hopgood’s partner that he does have a far more significant history in terms of drug-related offending and he has twice been before the Supreme Court,” Ms King said.
Ms King addressed Hopgood’s history saying her drug offending started in 2018.
“Which is relatively recent in comparison to some others that the court often sees,” she said.
Ms King said Hopgood instructed that she and her partner “have made significant steps towards reducing their drug consumption, particularly methamphetamine”.
Before handing down penalty, Mr Press noted the submission that drugs were still being used by Hopgood.
Mr Press wholly activated Hopgood’s suspended sentence, and sentenced her to eight months’ jail with immediate parole, suspended for an operational period of 18 months.
He fined Hopgood $1000 and also ordered she pay $865.95 restitution.
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