Charmhaven: Ex-drug addict Jessica Louise Wu, 23, returns from Queensland to plead guilty to raft of property offences

A reformed junkie who fled north to “turn her life around” claims she didn’t know she was wanted for more than a dozen offences — including an aggravated break and enter — until March this year.

Jessica Louise Wu, 23, formerly of Charmhaven, leaving Wyong Local Court after pleading guilty to a raft of property offences from when she was on drugs in 2021 before she fled to Queensland to turn her life around. Picture: NewsLocal

A former drug addict wanted on the Central Coast for a spree of property offences three years ago, including an aggravated break and enter, has returned to face the consequences.

Jessica Louise Wu, formerly of Charmhaven, faced Wyong Local Court on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to 17 offences all dating back to between July and December 2021.

The court heard the now 23-year-old was “heavily addicted” to drugs at the time and fled north to Queensland where she has been living for the past three years.

Her lawyer told the court Wu had no idea police were still chasing her for the offences, which included fraud, being carried in stolen cars, shoplifting, intimidation and having unlawfully obtained goods, until she became aware of a warrant in March of this year.

Her lawyer said Wu then returned to NSW and “handed herself in”.

Wu pleaded guilty to breaking into the secure car park of this apartment building on Hutton Rd, The Entrance North.

This was despite pleading guilty to two counts of failing to front Wyong Local Court three years earlier on December 8, 2021, for many of the other charges she has since pleaded guilty to.

Her lawyer said Wu fled to Queensland to “turn her life around” and had secure government housing, which she risked losing if she was sent to jail.

Former drug addict Wu will be sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to 17 offences. Picture: NewsLocal

The police prosecutor, however, said the “threshold has been crossed” and there was no other penalty available other than full-time custody.

Magistrate Robert Munro said Wu’s biggest issue was an aggravated break and enter which carried a maximum penalty of 14 years jail if dealt with in a higher court.

He said she was not eligible for a community release order because she now lived in Brisbane and couldn’t complete any community service work component.

Similarly he said she couldn’t receive an intensive correction order — seen as the equivalent of jail but served in the community — if she was living outside of NSW.

Wu, who was holding the keys, was confronted by the owner of a stolen car in the car park of Lake Haven Shopping Centre. Picture: Google

“It’s not something I want to do on the fly,” Mr Munro said of the sentencing exercise before adjourning the matter to Friday.

Various agreed sets of facts tendered to court state Wu’s crime spree began in July 2021 when she tried to walk out of Coles Lake Haven with a shopping trolley with $636.75 worth of items without paying.

A month later she was confronted in the car park of Lake Haven shops returning to a white Ford Focus which had been stolen from Kangy Angy the day before.

The car’s owner and his brother got a tip the car was at Lake Haven.

The facts state Wu was holding the keys and unlocked it when the brothers approached.

A tussle ensued before another, unknown male, intervened and punched the brothers in the back of the head.

Wu pulled out her phone as if to record them and said “you two c--ts are dead. I am going to stab you”.

Almost a month after that she was caught helping herself to items in the unlocked laundry of a house at Charmhaven.

When police arrived they found she was armed with a 20cm knife.

In October 2021 Wu and a male accomplice broke into the secure, underground car park of a unit block at The Entrance North and a few days later Wu was seen in the passenger seat of a Nissan Navara that was stolen following a break in at a property at Long Jetty.

Wu was also seen in a stolen Mazda and used the owner’ credit cards to purchase food and cigarettes from Coles Express at Gorokan.