Westfield assault led to six month, meth-fuelled crime spree

The court heard the 40-year-old woman ‘went on the gear and off the rails’ after a traumatic experience at the Chermside shopping centre.

A 40-year-old Lawnton woman was slammed with a suspended prison sentence for a six month, meth-fuelled crime spree across Brisbane’s north at the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The court heard “trouble seems to find” Renee Wodson, who pleaded guilty to a series of 11 charges which included stealing, producing dangerous drugs and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Renee Elizabeth Wodson went 'off the rails' following a traumatic event, the court heard.

According to her lawyer, Wodson had been on the straight and narrow for close to ten years when an alleged assault outside the Westfield Chermside left her feeling anxious and traumatised.

Wodson, a former army signalman, “hit the gear and went off the rails”, beginning with an stealing attempt at a Strathpine store on March 28.

The court heard employees became suspicious when Wodson spent 45 minutes in a changing room, clearly stuffing garments and handbags under her clothes.

Police prosecutor sergeant Graham Turner said police were called to the store where they questioned Wodson and recovered $419.35 worth of stolen stock.

Wodson racked up four additional charges on June 10 when police found stolen goods, drug utensils, fledgling cannabis plants and .16 grams of methamphetamine at her home.

The stolen goods, which included a laptop, credit cards and phones, were connected with an armed robbery that took place at a Strathpine home on May 28.

According to Sgt Turner, those responsible for the burglary used a toy gun and a hammer to assault the occupants.

Wodson was a “close associate” of the thieves, but was not present at the time.

The offending escalated towards the end of October, when on the 23rd a meth pipe and a taser were found in Wodson’s car and on the 25th she wandered into a stranger’s front yard and took his tools.

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Police attended Wodson’s home the following morning, where they found her behaving “erratically”.

There were more drugs, and an additional taser, located in her garage.

The court heard Wodson had ceased her drug use following the final arrest and she and her partner of 12 years planned to move away from the Pine Rivers area for a fresh start.

Wodson is expected to start working as a steel fixer on the Cross River Rail Project next week.

The large-scale construction project requires all employees to undergo frequent drug and alcohol testing which, her lawyer argued, may keep her out of trouble.

Magistrate Trevor Morgan sentenced Wodson to a three month suspended prison sentence with an operational period of nine months and issued a $2500 fine.

Convictions were recorded.