Kara Pratt: Moreton mum reveals how life spiralled into meth-addiction, homelessness and crime

‘One last chance’: A former business-owner and mother-of-two has been granted one last chance to rehabilitate before she’s sent back to the slammer.

A Moreton mother-of-two has been given one last chance to turn her life around and rehabilitate from a debilitating methamphetamine addiction that has seen her implicated in burglaries across Greater Brisbane.

Kara Jade Pratt, 34, pleaded guilty to 31 offences at the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Friday.

The court heard Pratt was a successful business owner in a long-term relationship with the father of her two children when, three years ago, her world fell apart.

The couple separated and, unable to cope, Pratt developed a methamphetamine addiction.

She was implicated in several burglaries for which she was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment at the Caboolture Magistrates Court on July 19, 2019.

Kara Pratt was released from custody at the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Friday.

Pratt completed her parole on March 11, 2020, just 15 days before she began to reoffend.

The most recent crime spree spanned an entire year, from March 26, 2020 to March 24, 2021, and included being the lookout in the burglary of Lakeside Bowmen field archery and bowhunting club at Kurwongbah.

The court heard Pratt and a male co-offender broke into the club at 2.45am on June 28, 2020.

Police were alerted to the break-in by the club’s security alarm and the couple were found shortly afterwards, hiding in bushland with stolen power tools.

Pratt came prepared with a headlight, gloves and a torch, indicating the burglary was premeditated.

Things went from bad to worse for Pratt when she was evicted from her home, leading to a charge of trespass when she returned to retrieve her belongings, two breaches of bail when police could not locate her at the prescribed address within curfew, and a charge of disqualified driving when she was forced to live in her car.

When Pratt was finally taken into presentence custody in March, she was held for lengthy periods in watch houses and security holding cells due to a Covid scare.

Her lawyer described the treatment she received as “inhumane”.

Magistrate Ho said given the low level of the current spate of offending, and the mitigating circumstances of homelessness and drug addiction, she believed Pratt deserved one last opportunity at rehabilitation.

“I don’t think (your addiction) has progressed to a stage where you can’t do something about it,” Magistrate Ho told the defendant.

“You have got to stop doing this life of crime and get a job and do the rehab if you want to be a part of your childrens’ lives.

“This is (your) last chance before going to jail, and going to jail, and going to jail.”

Pratt was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, wholly suspended for an operational period of 30 months and disqualified from driving for two years.

“You know where you’re going if you breach this order,” Magistrate Ho said.

“It is highly unlikely you’ll get another chance.”