Amira Obeid jailed for stealing from hospital workers while in grips of drug addiction

A mother-of-three from Woodridge sentenced to prison for stealing from staff at the QEII Hospital says all she wants is to “commit to being the best mother she can be”.

A Logan mother-of-three has been sentenced to prison for committing 32 offences, including stealing from hospital workers, while in the grips of a severe drug addiction.

Amira Obeid, 37, appeared via videolink from custody to plead guilty to all offences at the Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard Brisbane-born Obeid struggled with a long term addiction to heroin which caused her to rack up a significant criminal history of stealing, fraud, and drug charges.

According to the schedule of facts tendered to the court by police prosecutor sergeant Rochelle Paz Landim, Obeid broke into two secure lockers at the QEII Jubilee Hospital at Coopers Plains on November 1 and stole purses from health workers.

She subsequently used the contents of the purses to commit 10 counts of fraud by dishonestly gaining benefit or advantage.

Amira Obeid pleaded guilty to 32 offences at the Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Obeid was arrested and taken into custody, where she has remained on remand for the past 184 days, all of which is time declarable.

Solicitor Kara Lee Murphy from Kilroy and Callaghan Lawyers told the court Obeid was born to two drug-addicted parents and spent the majority of her childhood in short term foster care, before running away from child safety at the age of 18 to live on the streets.

Obeid has three children and expressed, through Ms Murphy, a strong desire to drop the drugs and “commit to being the best mother she can be”.

“As she said, she’s getting too old for this, and just wants to be with her daughter,” Ms Murphy said.

The Magistrate noted Obeid’s offences were typical for a person with a history of drug addiction.

“The court can have sympathy for that but that sympathy evaporates when you start stealing and taking things from other people, such as money they’ve earned,” he said.

Obeid was sentenced to 19 months imprisonment with immediate parole eligibility.

Due to extensive delays at the parole office it is likely Obeid will remain in custody for several months.