Harmony Pacey sentenced in Grafton Local Court for property damage

A 24-year-old woman caught in a “vicious cycle” was charged for damaging council property after lighting a fire to keep warm.

A 24-year-old woman came before Grafton Magistrates Court for lighting fire to a council post to keep warm.

A young woman caught in a “vicious cycle” has fronted court for lighting fire to council property to keep warm.

Harmony Pacey, 24, appeared in Grafton Local Court on Monday for sentencing after pleading guilty to damage to property.

Her solicitor, Jason Hatch, said Pacey was on an apprehended domestic violence order at the time of the offence, which effectively forced her into homelessness.

“She lit a small fire to stay warm and as a result minor damage occurred to a post owned by council,” he said.

“She was open and honest with police and it’s quite clear the offending had occurred out of circumstance.”

Pacey was also serving a community corrections order at the time of the incident and effectively breached the order as a result.

Mr Hatch said his client was looking for emergency accommodation and was “surfing between different places” in the meantime.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden asked if there was anything that could be done to ensure Pacey had access to appropriate support services.

“It becomes a vicious cycle when you are struggling,” Ms Crittenden said.

“In this case, it’s not as if you were deliberately flouting your corrections orders at the time of the offence.”

Given the circumstances of the incident, Ms Crittenden elected not to take any action on the breach which resulted from the fire.

Pacey was convicted of the damage to property offence with no further penalty.