‘Very shady characters’: Rental vehicle declared stolen returned with four grand damage, evidence destroying coating

A court has heard how a mother in her 40s mixed with very shady company when she stopped paying rent on a vehicle, only to have it returned with thousands in damages after allegedly being crashed by a male friend fleeing from police.

A MOTHER of two arrested after failing to pay a rental for five weeks has been admonished by a magistrate for keeping “some very shady company” when the vehicle was returned with thousands in damages and “entirely coated with a chemical which destroys evidence”.

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Kamie Lyn Noon, 44, pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a vehicle when she appeared at the Cleveland Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard Noon, a Tingalpa mother of two, had her lease on a rented vehicle extended but failed to pay its fees for five weeks.

The vehicle was declared stolen on October 8 last year when a male driver and associate of Noon allegedly left her behind at a Carina petrol station while fleeing from police.

The man (unnamed at court) allegedly crashed the vehicle during his escape but managed to speed off.

The court heard police had to review CCTV footage from the service station to connect Noon to the incident; the defendant was said by a police prosecutor to have failed at informing officers that she was party to the incident.

Defence solicitor Trent Playford said his client had rented the vehicle to take care of her ailing mother who had since passed.

The court heard the vehicle was returned on October 9 with $4000 in damages and “entirely coated with a chemical which destroys evidence”.

Police prosecutor Steele said it a was a significant offence of unlawful use of a vehicle.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta said Noon had placed herself in a peculiar set of circumstances.

“You are hanging around with some very shady characters,” Magistrate Vasta said.

“This is serious stuff; you expect this from people in their late teens (or) early twenties.

“It is a significant lapse in judgment on a number of levels.”

Mr Playford said his client had not been aware the vehicle had been declared stolen at the time and had since cut ties with the male driver.

He said Noon had struggled with drugs “off and on” but had been clean for the past 12 months and had completed two alcohol management courses.

Magistrate Vasta acknowledged that Noon had not offended since the incident.

Noon was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and ordered to pay $700 in restitution for unpaid fees. A conviction was recorded.