Sharlene O’Brien pleads guilty to break in at Lifepointe Baptist Church, Buderim
A mother has been asked what her sons would think after her failed attempt to steal a fake plant at a popular church went belly up, after going there to donate items.
Police & Courts
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A Landsborough mother has been told she should be “embarrassed” after being foiled in her plot with two others to steal plants from a Sunshine Coast church.
Sharlene Leticia O’Brien, 49, was asked by Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin this week what her sons would think of her role in the break in at Lifepointe Church at Buderim on June 19.
Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard O’Brien and two others entered the church’s grounds about 4.30am in a vehicle when they decided to break into a shed nearby.
The group, which also consisted of Wurtulla woman Maya Mary-Anne Murray, 21, took artificial plants for themselves.
Police prosecutor Michael Quirk said, however, the women were caught red handed at the scene by police at 4.37am.
O’Brien admitted to stealing one of the artificial plants for her home and pleaded guilty to entering a premises and committing an indictable offence.
Duty lawyer Rachel Holland said the 49-year-old mother of three sons was not on the right medication at the time and relapsed.
“They’d be proud of mum getting out at 4 o’clock in the morning [and] stealing fake plants from a church,” Mr McLaughlin said.
Ms Holland said O’Brien was moving out at the time and actually stopped by the church to drop items off when she “stupidly” helped herself to property there.
The lawyer said the 49-year-old was remorseful with the offence being out of character.
Mr McLaughlin said it sounded like an incident kids would get up to, or a “Dumb and Dumber sequel”.
“I hope you were embarrassed when your kids found out about it,” he said.
The Landsborough woman was fined $400 with no conviction recorded.
Murray pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 8 and was fined $350 and was not convicted.
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