Lego store manager Laura Jean Richards jailed for $60k theft, $70k fire damage

The manager of Westfield Chermside Shopping Centre’s Lego store, who stole 40 boxes of Lego and $60,000 cash, torched the centre to cover up her crimes.

A Lego store manager who stole tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of stock and cash before setting fire to a major Westfield shopping centre in an attempt to cover up her crime has been slapped with a five-year prison sentence.

The 37-year-old was the manager of the Chermside Lego store in 2020 when she stole up to 40 boxes of Lego and almost $60,000 of cash from the popular store to fund her gambling addiction.

When Laura Jean Richards realised management was investigating the theft, she snuck into the company’s stockrooms at the Westfield Shopping Centre, doused stock in petrol and set it on fire in a bid to cover up her crimes.

Laura Jean Richards outside Brisbane District Court.

The Brisbane District Court heard the blaze caused more than $70,000 in damage to stock belonging to Lego, Specsavers and Macpac.

Prosecutor Ron Swanwick said after losing her job at the Lego store, Richards moved to Longreach where she stole thousands of dollars from her new employer while on bail for the earlier offending.

Richards stole at least $10,000 from that business, cleaning out the safe and pilfering daily takings.

Richards was taken into custody on January 15 this year after her lawyers applied to have her bail revoked so she could begin serving her “inevitable” custodial sentence.

Chief Judge Brian Devereaux SC on Tuesday sentenced Richards to five years’ imprisonment for aggravated fraud.

She pleaded guilty to that offence, along with charges of endangering property by fire and stealing by a clerk or servant.

She was sentenced to concurrent two-and-a-half year prison terms for those offences and will become eligible for parole in January 2025.

“It was serious, it was pre-planned, it was not sophisticated and obviously each case was a gross breach of trust of an employee in a position of great responsibility,” Mr Swanwick said.

Defence barrister Nicholas McGhee urged the court to take into account Richards prejudicial background, including mental health issues which a psychiatrist opined was directly related to her gambling addiction.

“A sentence is designed to punish you in a proportionate way for your offending,” Chief Judge Devereaux told Richards.

“The sentence is also importantly intended to prevent other people from offending in the way you have, and to protect future businesses or anybody who employs you in the community from your dishonesty.

“But the sentence is also designed to ensure your rehabilitation so far as that can be done.”