Meth-addicted Sarah Louise Campbell stole $800 worth of sex toys from adult shop among other offences

Among the Central Queensland woman’s other offences was an incident where she bit a police officer, and on three separate occasions she stole groceries from supermarkets. Here’s what happened to her in court.

A meth-addicted woman who stole more than $800 worth of sex toys from a Rockhampton adult shop has faced court for her drug-fuelled eight-month crime spree.

Sarah Louise Campbell, 38, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 11 to eight charges including four of stealing, unlawfully entering a business, wilful damage, assaulting police and failing to surrender into custody.

Campbell’s offending happened between February and September of 2020.

She twice stole groceries from Drakes Biloela, and once from Woolworths Biloela.

The unlawfully entering a business charge came about because Campbell attended Drakes Biloela after she was banned from that store for stealing.

Campbell’s fourth stealing charge related to her going to the Into Love Adult Superstore in Rockhampton City on March 17, 2020, and stealing more than $800 worth of adult toys.

Police Prosecutor Clancy Fox said at 6pm on that day, Campbell entered the store.

“She did purchase some items and the store was closed not long after that,” Mr Fox said.

“But the employees then noticed that there were a number of other items of stock missing.”

Mr Fox said CCTV vision showed Campbell placing those missing items into her bag and under her clothes.

The prosecution sought $820 in restitution for the stolen items from the adult store.

The assault police charge stemmed from an incident on February 5, 2020.

On that day, at 11pm, police and ambulance officers were called to a Dee Street residence at Biloela.

Mr Fox said Campbell had to be restrained and she was aggressive towards police and ambulance officers.

“She was restrained onto a trolley stretcher and she was thrashing her arms around,” Mr Fox said.

Mr Fox said when a police officer reached over to hold Campbell’s arm, she “lifted her head and bit down on the base of his left hand” causing some discomfort but no injury.

The wilful damage charge arose after Campbell, at 1am on February 18, 2020, threw an object at a vehicle being driven past the Grand Hotel at Mount Morgan, causing damage to the left front guard.

The prosecution tendered Campbell’s criminal histories from Queensland and New South Wales which showed previous dishonesty offending and drug offending.

Mr Fox said prior to these 2020 offences, Campbell was dealt with in late 2019 for “similar offences” where she was placed on community service and probation orders.

Mr Fox said some of these 2020 offences breached the probation order.

Solicitor Richards Parks said, in relation to Campbell’s NSW criminal history, there was a lengthy term of imprisonment for drug possession.

“There’s been no offending since the, I think the last was a trespass and the matter in Drakes which was in September 2020,” he said.

“So there’s been no offending since that particular point in time.

“She does have quite a lengthy history in New South Wales which has been all, basically, related to drug offences.”

Mr Parks said the reason these 2020 matters had taken so long to come before the court was because it took nearly a year to get a mental health report done.

Mr Parks said during the 2020 offences, Campbell had also been caught between “a rock and a hard place” with her relationship at the time, and he referred Magistrate Cameron Press to details of that contained in documents tendered to the court.

“I rely on that in some form of mitigation,” Mr Parks said.

Mr Parks said in relation to the offending at Into Love Adult Superstore, Campbell’s then partner was with her at the time and she was “under some duress obtaining material at that time”.

Mr Parks said Campbell realised she would have to pay restitution.

Mr Parks said Campbell was born in New South Wales and schooled there to Year 10 before getting employment, and she moved to Biloela in about 2017.

Mr Parks said the catalyst for Campbell “going off the rails” with drug and alcohol abuse was her father’s death from cancer.

But he said Campbell had turned her life around being currently employed for the past two years at a community transport service business and she was a reformed meth addict now that she was away from her former partner who was heavily into methamphetamines.

“She was extremely addicted to this (meth) and had been to alcohol,” Mr Parks said.

“This is the first time in her life, for this period of time, that she hasn’t been in trouble.

“And she’s not on drugs. And if one looks at her photographs from the (police documents) in certain situations going back to even NSW...the difference is absolutely mind-blowing.

“Because it’s a total different person - you wouldn’t recognise her.”

Magistrate Cameron Press noted that at the time of the 2020 offences, Campbell was suffering trauma and mental health trauma.

He placed her on two years’ probation with conditions including drug rehabilitation and drug testing.

An order for $820 restitution was made.