Milica Krickic helped steal $3k worth of toothbrushes from Southern Highlands supermarkets

A couple selected the Southern Highlands as the site for their supermarket heist, where they stole more than $3,000 worth of toothbrushes.

A magistrate determined a woman was just following the lead of her boyfriend when she acted as a lookout in the theft of thousands of dollars worth of toothbrushes.

Milica Krickic, 32, appeared in Moss Vale Local Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to being party to two counts of larceny and one charge of dealing with the proceeds of a crime. The court heard Krickic was the lookout and occasional getaway driver for her boyfriend, and the orchestrator of the thefts, Matthew Prowse.

The Wilton resident told police she and Prowse drove down to the Southern Highlands from St Marys to “get stuff without paying for it”.

Milica Krickic was very cooperative with police, even telling them of an previously unknown offence.

At around 5.45 on January 11, Prowse is captured on CCTV entering Highlands Marketplace in Mittagong and heading to the toiletries aisle of Woolworths. He’s seen stuffing 56 items into stolen cooler bags before walking out the back exit. The items were stolen Oral B electric toothbrushes worth more than $1,300.

About an hour later, CCTV footage shows Prowse entering the Woolworths on Boolwey St in Bowral, where he heads straight for the toiletries aisle and steals 117 items. Again the items were electric toothbrushes, but this haul was worth more than $2,200.

During both of these thefts, Krickic admitted to police she was acting as the lookout to make sure Prowse got out of the stores safely.

When Prowse tried to steal from the Bowral Woolworths a second time on January 18, they were ready for him. Police arrested him as he tried to flee, leaving three bags full of toothbrushes in a trolley. Inside were more than $1,200 worth of toothbrushes. Prowse was also armed with a heavy magnetic device used to remove antitheft alarms.

Milica Krickic admitted to sometimes being the getaway driver during the thefts.

Police then found Krickic next to the car where she told police she was stationed to make sure “everything goes OK”.

In the car they found 23 Oral B electric toothbrushes valued at nearly $900. Prowse told police he would sell items at Cabramatta in exchange for cash. Police noted he was wearing expensive clothing and didn’t appear to be in need of money.

Krickic’s lawyer Fiona Kay said her client had a problem with drugs, which had started with cannabis use at 16-years-old and escalated to heroin at 21 years old.

Ms Kay told the court Prowse had taken advantage of Krickic’s vulnerability to coerce her into committing the offences.

“There was a large degree of manipulation by the co-offender,” she said.

Court documents reveal Prowse stole more than $9,500 worth of toothbrushes in his raids of supermarkets in Tahmoor, Mittagong, and Bowral between December 2020 and January 6, 2021.

Milica Krickic appeared in Moss Vale Local Court on June 8 2021. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Magistrate Robert Rabbidge said it was clear he was the driving force behind the offences, and Krickic had been influenced by her boyfriend.

“In relationships, time and time again, the male takes the leadership role, be it a good one or a poor one,” he said.

“He was clearly the primary offender.”

The court heard Prowse has a “very serious” criminal record which ran to 50 pages. He was found guilty of larceny and dealing with proceeds of a crime and sentenced to an Intensive Corrections Order, but Magistrate Rabbidge said the same penalty wouldn’t be appropriate for Krickic.

He acknowledged she had a limited record and showed remorse for her actions. He also noted her “colossal” efforts in drug rehabilitation.

Magistrate Rabbidge sentenced Krickic to an 18-month Community Corrections Order with supervision.