Cleaner Maxine Hunter pleads guilty to stealing from Dan Everson Podiatry

A mother-of-nine has been caught with her hand in the till at a Sunshine Coast specialist clinic while on the job, stealing hundreds of dollars from the business.

Maxine Janet Hunter leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday. Picture: Patrick Woods

A South Caboolture cleaner and mother of nine kids has avoided going to jail for her brazen heist of a local Sunshine Coast business’ earnings while she was on the job.

CCTV captured Maxine Janet Hunter’s grubby theft of hundreds of dollars at Dan Everson Podiatry in Maroochydore in March 2023 while she was employed as a cleaner.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard on Monday that security footage showed the 42-year-old cleaning the medical business about 10.49pm on March 11 when she searched drawers in an office and found a black box.

Police prosecutor James Allen said Hunter removed an unknown quantity of cash from the box before she left the room with it, until she returned it back to the draw.

Maxine Janet Hunter pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing by clerks and servants. Picture: Patrick Woods

Mr Allen said she conducted an identical theft about 1.56am on March 16 when she returned to the room and pilfered more money from the black box while wearing personal protective equipment.

The court heard Hunter ripped off the podiatrist of $534.55, and was being pursued in the civil court for the “breach of trust” she had as a worker employed to clean the business.

The court heard Hunter started her own cleaning business. Picture: Patrick Woods

Duty lawyer Rose Killip said Hunter’s bosses withheld her pay slip to repay the podiatrist. The South Caboolture woman has since started her own cleaning business.

Ms Killip said it was a low level of criminality involved, with Hunter addressing magistrate Maxine Baldwin on how she had relapsed on drugs in the past.

Ms Baldwin went through Hunter’s criminal history which included an unlawful use of a motor vehicle where the South Caboolture woman clarified she was using a hired car borrowed from her partner at the time when she found out it was stolen.

The 42-year-old said she was grappling with a “downfall” after losing her two brothers.

“When sh-t goes left … that’s when I relapse,” Hunter said.

The magistrate said the fact the cleaner went back for the second theft while she hid her identity showed it was premeditated.

Hunter pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing by clerks and servants and was jailed for one month, suspended for one year.