Denise Mary Pashley, 68, faces court for $1k damage, stealing

A 68-year-old grandmother has faced court after taking a handbag in a Moreton Bay shopping centre, stealing a large amount of cash and smashing a phone.

A 68-year-old northside grandmother has been put on a good behaviour bond after a “brain snap’’ led her to steal a handbag and cash and cause $1000 damage to a phone.

Denise Mary Pashley, of Bald Hills, pleaded guilty in Pine Rivers Magistrate Court yesterday (Monday, June 20) to one count of stealing and one count of wilful damage.

Pashley was at the Strathpine Centre shops when she saw an unattended woman’s bag.

The court heard the bag had been left for only three minutes when the retired grandmother took the handbag, which was filled with valuables.

“CCTV footage captured a couple leaving the centre in a car that was registered to the defendant,” police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Turner said.

Denise Mary Pashley, 68, outside Pine Rivers Magistrate Court.

He said Pashley rummaged through the contents of the bag, taking $150 in cash before tossing a mobile phone over her back fence.

“She had thrown it away because someone kept ringing the phone,” Sergeant Turner said.

“She had ditched it over the back fence and, when questioned, she stated did not know why she did that.”

By the time police found the phone in her backyard it was severely damaged.

“The phone was located in mud, with a wallet,” Sergeant Turner said.

“The screen was smashed, completely destroyed.”

Pashley’s lawyer, Shaun Kolo, said his client was sorry and had no reason for what she had done.

“My best way of putting it is a brain snap,” Mr Kolo said.

“She co-operated with the investigation and acknowledged she did something wrong.”

Magistrate Melanie Ho placed Pashley on a nine months’ good behaviour bond.

She convicted Pashley and ordered she pay restitution of $1102.