Chloe Williams: Riverwood mum sentenced for thefts from Woolworths, Coles supermarkets

A woman stole dozens of packets of meat and personal care items from various Coles and Woolworths stores in Sydney’s south to fund her $700-a-day drug addiction.

Chloe WIlliams stole more than $10K worth of groceries from store over six months to fund her drug habit. Picture: Facebook

A mother stole more than $10k worth of meat and cosmetic products from grocery stores during a six-month spree to fund her $700-a-day drug addiction.

Chloe Julie Williams, 22, was jailed in Sutherland Local Court on Monday for 17 shoplifting, six trespass and one resisting arrest charges.

The Riverwood mother-of-two and a man used the same modus operandi to steal large quantities of products from various grocery stores from September to February before Williams’ arrest in March.

Agreed facts tendered to court state Williams would go into Woolworths or Coles at various locations around Sydney and fill bags up with pre-packaged meat, cosmetic products and personal care items while the man stood at the entrance of the store as a lookout.

If either were approached by staff, the boyfriend would alert her and she would ditch the items and leave the store.

Chloe Williams was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court.

If not interrupted, Williams would walk out of the entrance with the stolen items with her boyfriend setting off the sensors at the entrance gates, and they would both leave the store before being questioned by staff.

On one occasion Williams stole 20 packets of vacuum sealed meat from Kingsgrove and in January she took nearly $1500 worth of personal care items and meat from Woolworths Riverwood.

On another occasion at Coles Hurstville, Williams put meat in her bag and left the store without paying before she returned a short time later to try to steal more items, but a member of the public alerted staff.

Williams claimed she had “put them back” but was found with the products and after she was detained by police she ran off but was caught and arrested.

She stole from stores in Bankstown, Edgecliff, Kingscliff, Caringbah, Hurstville, and World Square in Sydney, and had been banned from multiple locations.

St George proactive crime team officers used an intelligence-based platform which supermarket chains use to record and share attempted or actual shoplifted incidents with other stores and traced Williams’ theft. The total amount of items stolen was more than $10,000.

The court heard Williams was subject to a jail term to be served in the community when she committed the offences and had a criminal history of larceny, drugs and driving crimes.

The court heard Williams’ life at the time of the thefts revolved around taking drugs, following the death of her mother.

The court heard Williams had two children in the care of the father’s relative, and had a major opioid dependency and had attempted drug rehabilitation programs.

The court heard Williams was trying to fund a $700-a-day drug habit but had been abstinent since her arrest.

Magistrate Philip Stewart noted William had family support from her grandmother and aunt who she planned to live with once released from prison to keep her away from the St George area.

Mr Stewart sentenced Williams to two years jail, with a non-parole period of eight months.