Michelle Jade Kemball: Ex Merrimac State School teacher steals speaker and bottle of wine
An ex-Gold Coast primary school teacher has admitted stealing from a car parked near a Broadbeach hotel, a court was told. Read her punishment
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A former Gold Coast primary school teacher has admitted stealing a speaker and a bottle of wine from a man’s car in Broadbeach, a court was told.
Michelle Jade Kemball, 26, appeared at Southport Magistrates court pleading guilty to stealing and being in possession of items suspected of being stolen.
She was also re-sentenced on previous charges including possession of drugs and stealing.
At 6am on October 23 last year, a man living in the Signature Broadbeach apartment tower returned from an early morning run and was surprised to see a trolley containing his possessions near the entrance, police prosecutor Erin Garland said.
Inside the trolley was a speaker and wine bottle that should have been inside his car.
The man went to check his bag which he left in the foyer that morning and realised his car keys were missing, Ms Garland told the court.
The man found Kemball next to his car and walked her to the nearby Broadbeach police station.
Ms Garland said Kemball told police she was on an early morning walk when she came across the unattended backpack and took the keys.
Kemball said she wasn’t trying to steal the car and was about to return the keys to the bag.
Police searched Kemball, locating three more sets of keys, each containing swipe tags to other addresses.
Ms Garland the incident occurred while Kemball was out on bail for charges relating to possessing a bong, an electronic scale, 2.5g of cannabis and about 1.9g of methylamphetamine, in June last year.
That same month, Kemball was charged after stealing an iPhone 14.
Defence solicitor Demi Rose Quadrio of Gatenby Criminal lawyers said Kemball, a former teacher at Merrimac State School, struggled with illicit substance abuse after a “toxic” relationship with a drug dealer.
The mother of two regularly attends online rehabilitation centres, has abstained from illicit substances, and is looking to work as a hairdresser, Ms Quadrio said.
Magistrate Joan White ordered Kemball undertake nine months probation. No conviction was recorded.
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Originally published as Michelle Jade Kemball: Ex Merrimac State School teacher steals speaker and bottle of wine
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