Mudgeeraba mum Dusty Royal-Bowman, 34, steals Uber Eats vehicle in Gold Coast
A court has heard an opportunistic mum of three bided her time while an Uber Eats driver delivered his goods before making off with his vehicle.
Redlands Coast
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A 34-year-old mother of three who stole an Uber Eats driver’s vehicle while he was delivering food will have a suspended jail sentence hanging over her head should she offend within the next year.
Appearing in the dock at Cleveland Magistrates Court today a dishevelled and listless Dusty Royal-Bowman had to be told her age by the magistrate after she pleaded guilty to unlawful use of motor vehicle and two counts of failure to appear in accordance with undertaking.
The court heard a shocked Uber Eats driver returned to where he had parked his vehicle on October 2 at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast to find it gone.
CCTV footage captured Royal-Bowman “loitering around for a minute” near the vehicle after the driver left his keys in it while delivering food, before climbing in and driving off.
“Transient and hard to locate” the defendant would also fail to appear for court on February 18 and June 8.
An unrepresented Royal-Bowman argued that her June 8 matter had been dealt with in her absence, however this was rejected as a reasonable explanation by Magistrate Deborah Vasta.
The court was told the defendant had previously been ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and probation for failing to appear at court and had “sporadically attended” her probation order.
At first quibbling about her age she finally accepted it when it was read out by Magistrate Vasta, who noted the defendant’s criminal history only started five years ago.
Royal-Bowman was fined $300 for her first failing to appear at court offence, was sentenced to two weeks’ prison for the latter count, and sentenced to one month prison for unlawfully using a vehicle.
To be served cumulatively, the sentences were wholly suspended over 12 months.
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