Amy Joanne Michalski pleads guilty to aggravated breaking and entering

Suddenly a new contender has emerged for the nefarious title of the coast’s dumbest criminal. Read how an iPhone app and a taxi driver thwarted would-be cat burglar Amy Joanne Michalski.

A 32-year-old woman from Berkeley Vale has pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated breaking and entering, goods in custody and fraudulently using a stolen credit card.

Amy Joanne Michalski appeared at Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where she was committed for sentence in the District Court next month.

An agreed set of facts states Michalski was captured on CCTV walking through the main gate at Dunleith Caravan Park at The Entrance North shortly after midnight on September 21 last year.

Michalski was captured entering Dunleith Caravan Park fat The Entrance North.

A couple and their son staying at their caravan had gone to bed an hour earlier, zipping up the annex but leaving their van door unlocked.

Michalski was also captured on CCTV carrying a light coloured handbag walking past the office and amenities block.

At around 12.45am the offender was again captured on CCTV leaving through the main gate on foot.

“This time, in addition to the light-coloured handbag, she could also be seen carrying a black handbag over her shoulder,” the facts state.

When the family woke the following day they noticed the door to the caravan was open and the annex had been unzipped.

The son noticed his iPhone and earpods were missing, while his mum noticed her black handbag was also gone.

He noticed his iPhone and earbuds were missing

Pictures: file

“Having looked for, and being unable to locate the phone and earphones the family utilized the ‘find my iPhone’ app which indicated that the phone was located in the vicinity of Windsor Rd, Berkeley Vale at 6.25am,” the facts state.

“They then called police to report their caravan had been broken into.”

They were shown a screen shot from the CCTV and noticed the handbag Michalski was carrying over her shoulder matched the stolen handbag.

Three days later police conducted a search warrant at the then home of the offender at Windsor Rd, Berkeley Vale.

Police arrested Michalski at her rented accommodation on Windsor Rd, Berkeley Vale. Picture: Google

“There they seized a black handbag matching the one stolen from [the victim],” the facts state.

“Also seized at the accused’s home was a pair of earpods matching those stolen.”

She was arrested and taken to Wyong Police Station where she was interviewed and confirmed it was her entering and leaving the caravan park but denied entering the victims’ caravan or stealing any items.

They searched her mobile phone and found text and Facebook messages with an individual who offered Michalski “two points” for “that phone and headphones” while she asked for assistance on how to unlock an iPhone.

During the search police found coathangers, a beaded curtain and some fairy lights ordered from Wish.com addressed to the woman who rented the granny flat out the back of Michalski’s rented accommodation.

Michalski was arrested and taken to Wyong Police Station.

That victim confirmed to police her order had gone missing and Michalski later admitted to opening the package and putting it in her cupboard.

Two months after her arrest, on November 8, Michalski was again captured on CCTV entering the Sapphire Palms Motel at The Entrance at 9.58pm.

At 10.17pm she was captured opening the door to room 8 where a couple and a child were sleeping.

“She stood at the open door for a short while before she entered the room,” the facts state.

Michalski came back out a few minutes later.

When the woman woke up the next morning she noticed her handbag was stolen, which included her NAB Visa card.

The Sapphire Palms Motel at The Entrance where Amy Michalski stole a woman's handbag. Picture: Google

She logged onto her banking app and found there had been a number of transactions.

The offender was captured on CCTV at the Caltex service station at Forresters Beach shortly after 7.30am on November 9 where she purchased a packet of Winfield blue 30 cigarettes and a bottle of coke for $67.29.

She also purchased a $3 lighter and an Aspera mobile phone for $99.

Michalski was captured leaving in a taxi, which she booked to take her to an address at Bateau Bay but the victim had by then rung her bank to cancel the card.

“As by that stage this attempted transaction was declined and the offender was unable to pay the taxi fare by other means, the driver subsequently took the offender to the police station at The Entrance,” the facts state.

The taxi driver took Michalski to The Entrance Police Station when the stolen credit card was declined.

Police viewed the CCTV footage from the service station and located the victim’s credit card in Michalski’s underwear.

They also found the mobile phone she purchased and the cigarettes.

She told police in a recorded interview the credit card was “a friend’s” and she denied being at the Sapphire Palms Motel or stealing the card.

Michalski will face Gosford District Court on June 24 to fix a date for sentence and her bail was continued.