Straddie’s Rayne Joselyn Moskwa, 25, steals, uses vehicles illegally ‘without second’s hesitation’

A court has heard a 25-year-old mum-of-two’s crime spree only ended when she was locked up after leaving a trail of victims, even those who had shown her goodwill, in her wake.

A magistrate has been left searching for words and sentencing solutions for a 25-year-old woman who left a string of victims in her wake after an appalling stolen vehicle crime spree.

North Stradbroke Island woman Rayne Joselyn Moskwa pleaded guilty to 37 charges committed over the course of around four months in 2020 and last year.

They included eight counts of using stolen vehicles, eight counts of stealing fuel, two counts of evading police, nine counts of driving while disqualified by a court, failing to remain at the scene of an accident, entering a dwelling to commit an indictable offence and drug possession.

The court heard Moskwa went on an appalling crime spree between a stint in custody where she simply stole vehicles “without a second’s hesitation”, left chaos in her wake while evading police and broke into numerous properties to help herself to items.

According to prosecutors, her theft and use of stolen vehicles even involved preying on people from whom she had sought assistance.

On August 7, 2020 she asked a man if she could use his shower and simply drove away in his vehicle, which was located on August 11.

The next day on August 8 she stole fuel from a Wynnum service station with the stolen vehicle and sped away from an attempted police intercept.

North Stradbroke Island woman Rayne Joselyn Moskwa, 25, pleaded guilty to 37 charges committed over the course of around four months in 2020 and last year. Picture: Facebook.

She again stole fuel on August 9 and 11.

On August 25 she met a man online, accompanied his friend to a 7-Eleven service station and simply drove off with the vehicle when the victim’s friend stepped into the shop.

On August 27 she stole fuel and on August 28 she drove into oncoming traffic in Raby Bay to evade police during an attempted intercept.

On September 2 she broke into a Kangaroo Point apartment and left her fingerprints on a knife after stealing items including shoes and keys.

Later on the same day she became frantic when residents at a gated Logan community asked her what she was doing there. While speeding away in an Avis rental vehicle she collided with curbs and a pole and raced away from the scene of the accident.

Three days later on September 5 in Chandler she drove a vehicle stolen by an associate from a 67-year-old woman.

On September 28 she drove off with the stolen vehicle of a person with disabilities and stopped to steal fuel in Lutton.

And on October 13 she used an acquaintance’s car illegally and let him know of her crime via text message.

Her offending stopped when she was taken into custody for months but resumed seven weeks after her release in 2021.

The court heard between July 12 and August 12, 2021 she unlawfully drove a Bardon man’s car that was recovered with dents “in every panel”, broken lights and covered in spray paint.

And over the course of July 24-25 she unlawfully used a vehicle in Holland Park.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley said the court had bent over backwards for the defendant who had received every available community based sentence in the past.

Moskwa’s offending was so severe and prolific that a three-year prison sentence was urged by the prosecution.

Defence solicitor Alina Somerville acknowledged her client’s “appalling” criminal history, which would almost certainly mean “years in jail” should she reoffend again.

Ms Somerville said the combined 428 days in pre-sentence custody Moskwa had endured had served as a dramatic wake-up call for the woman in remission from cervical cancer.

The court was told Moskwa had a traumatic upbringing, had two years ago suffered a horrific event and realised she was “getting older”.

Ms Somerville noted her client had ceased offending between 2016-2018 when she worked as a ranger on North Stradbroke Island and intended to apply for the position again.

However, the sheer scale and serial nature of the defendant’s offending shocked Magistrate Deborah Vasta.

“She has only stopped offending because we put her behind bars,” Ms Vasta said.

“We have done that over, and over, and over, and over.

“We are trying to balance the victims, the people against whom she is just merrily going round thinking she has some God-given right to help herself from their property, to other people’s cars.

“Some of these cars are completely damaged.

“You don’t give a damn about other people’s property; it is such disrespect for her own community.

“Such shameful behaviour.

“I am really quite struggling to find what is an appropriate sentence.”

Moskwa was sentenced to 23 months’ prison.

With 428 days served in pre-sentence custody she was granted immediate release and further sentenced to a three-month prison sentence, wholly suspended over 12 months.

For driving while court disqualified on nine occasions, the defendant was disqualified from driving for 18 years.