Katelin Beasleigh sentence for violent Glass House Mountains robbery

A young mum busted throwing pineapples later held a 17-year-old boy’s head back by his hair while her peers punched him in the face during a violent robbery of his Gucci apparel.

A young mum overwhelmed with parenting left her three month-old child and “ran wild” before helping a group of juveniles violently rob a 17-year-old of his Gucci hat and shoes.

Katelin Beasleigh, 19, was sentenced to two years’ probation in Maroochydore District Court on Monday after she pleaded guilty to robbery with actual violence in company at the Glass House Mountains train station on 31 August.

The court heard Beasleigh had been drinking when she helped the group attack the 17-year-old victim.

“You participated by pulling his head back by his hair as he was being punched by the others,” Judge Glen Cash said.

The group then assaulted him for a second time.

Mr Cash said the boy’s $400 shoes, Gucci hat, phone and bank card were stolen.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks revealed Beasleigh had been fined for a public nuisance offence earlier that day where she was caught throwing a “large number” of pineapples on a Sunshine Coast road.

The court heard the assault victim reclaimed his hat and shoes, but his phone and other items had not been found.

Ms Marks said Beasleigh wasn’t the leader of the group, but described the offending as “protracted and persistent”.

“The offending is protracted and in company with personal violence committed in the evening, in a public place at the train station were the public should feel safe and secure,” she said.

Ms Marks said the young victim was punched in the face and suffered cuts to his tongue and gums.

The court heard Beasleigh was identified on CCTV footage at the train station and declined to be interviewed by police.

She said the maximum penalty for robbery was life in prison, but said a two-year suspended prison sentence would be appropriate.

Ms Marks said Beasleigh could also be released on parole so she could have ongoing supervision in the community to assist her in her rehabilitation.

Barrister Lachlan Ygoa-Mckeown told the court Beasleigh had a good childhood until the age of 15 when she moved out of home and started “delinquent behaviour”.

Mr Ygoa-Mckeown said Beasleigh was overwhelmed with being a young mother when she left her now 18-month-old in the care of her mum.

“She is a young mother who has now had to mature very quickly and in my submission has done so since the offending in an exemplary fashion,” he said.

“Prior to the offending there were some things in her life that contributed to her finding herself in that situation notwithstanding that she made the choice to become involved on that day, with that peer group …”

Mr Ygoa-Mckeown said a psychological report showed Beasleigh suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and anxiety.

He said the psychologist said the 19-year-old would pose a low risk of reoffending if she continued to seek assistance for her mental health.

Mr Ygoa-Mckeown suggested a two-year probation order combined with 60 hours of community service.

He asked for no conviction to be recorded against Beasleigh, who had aspirations of working with children.

Mr Cash agreed parole was not the only order that would give Beasleigh supervision in the community and placed her on two years’ probation.

“One way of making sure this is not repeated is to give you supervision and support so you can proceed into adulthood with the best chance of getting the skills you need to get a job and make something of yourself and support your child,” he said.

Beasleigh was ordered to complete 60 hours’ community service in one year.

A conviction was not recorded.