Annabelle Chapman, 66, of Palm Beach: Sydney architect convicted of pinching neighbour’s hydrangeas

A renowned Sydney architect from Palm Beach now has a criminal record after stealing hydrangea blooms from a neighbour’s garden.

Annabelle Chapman, 66, of Palm Beach, outside Manly Local Court on Wednesday, she faced charges of stealing hydrangea blooms from a neighbour's garden. Picture: Manly Daily

A prominent Sydney architect, who couldn’t resist the lure of her neighbour’s beautiful hydrangeas, has been convicted of being a flower thief.

Annabelle Sue Chapman, 66, of Palm Beach, who has an inner-city architecture practise, snipped the blooms for a private garden not far from her luxury northern beaches’ home at Ralston Rd – which boasts sweeping ocean views.

She liked the colourful hydrangeas in John and Tigi Coplestone’s garden so much, she visited the property — known to locals as the “Hydrangea House” — three times, armed with secateurs.

Chapman grabbed at least 10 stems from the bushes each time.

The court heard that she thought the property was uninhabited and “boarded up”.

Annabelle, Chapman, 66, of Palm Beach. Picture: LinkedIn

But the first time Chapman went for a snip, at 8.30am on December 8, the Coplestone’s were in New Zealand.

When they arrived home on a few days later and found some of the precious flowers stems had been cut, they installed a CCTV camera.

Chapman, who has tutored interior design at Sydney College of the Arts and tutored at the University of NSW, was then captured on security vision cutting the flowers again on December 21 and January 12, this year.

Annabelle, Chapman, 66, of Palm Beach, said taking the hydrangeas was a “lapse of judgement”. Picture: Manly Daily

The architect, who is also a respected figure in surf life saving competition circles and was the first female life member of Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club, was convicted in Manly Local Court on Wednesday.

She pleaded guilty to three counts of steal plant in garden.

Magistrate Robert Williams convicted her on one charge, and fined her $450,

For the two other offence, Mr Williams found her guilty, but did not proceed to conviction.

The magistrate, however, handed her two Conditional Release Orders to be of good behaviour for nine months.

The hydrangea flowers in the yard of John and Tigi Coplestone in Palm Beach that were stolen by Annabelle Chapman. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Chapman’s barrister, Mandy Tibby, who asked the magistrate to dismiss all charges, told the court that her client, who she said owned Annabelle Chapman Architect Pty Ltd, admitted to taking the hydrangeas, but did not use them for commercial purposes.

“It was a lapse of Judgement,” Ms Tibby said. “She thought the property was uninhabited. She fully admits she was wrong.

Manly Court heard that Annabelle Chapman “really liked” hydrangeas. Picture: Gail Taifalos

“She is quite remorseful about that.”

In a police facts sheet tendered to court, police stated they questioned Chapman abut the thefts.

“The accused stated that she really liked the flower, and to her … the house appeared boarded up and not resided in,” police wrote.

Ms Tibby said Chapman was so sorry, she left a gifts of expensive bottles of champagne, a scented candle and a coffee-table book about hydrangeas, at the Coplestone’s home.

While sentencing Chapman, Magistrate Williams said the court had difficulty in understanding why she repeatedly offended.

“They were offences of dishonesty,” he said.