Julie Hynes: Cronulla Sharks star Nicho Hynes’ mum sentenced for stealing chocolate, Bandaids

The embattled mother of NRL superstar Nicho Hynes has had another brush with the law, stealing chocolates and Bandaids from a local supermarket just 48 hours after being released from prison.

Julie Hynes was sentenced and fined $200 for stealing chocolates and bandaids from Cronulla IGA in May 2023. Pictured with Warwick Korn lawyer. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

The embattled mother of NRL star Nicho Hynes has been fined for stealing chocolates and Bandaids only two days after she was released from prison for heroin supply.

Julie Jean Hynes, 51, pleaded guilty in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday and she was convicted and fined $200 for a stealing the items worth $20.

Hynes is the mother of the reigning Dally M medallist and Cronulla Sharks playmaker Nicho Hynes.

Julie Hynes was to live at the NRL halfback’s Cronulla home on her release from custody on May 9, when she was sentenced and placed on an intensive correction order after a NSW District Court jury found her guilty of knowingly supplying heroin.

Hynes was charged after a family friend Luke Murphy, 29, suffered an accidental drug overdose and died in her living room at Blackwall on the state’s central coast in 2021.

Julie Hynes (centre) with her son Nicho Hynes on her release from prison in May. Picture: David Swift

Agreed facts tendered to court reveal Hynes came under notice of the Cronulla IGA’s loss prevention officer because she was “acting odd between the aisles” about 5.30pm on May 11.

The officer watched Hynes, on the CCTV footage, pick up two boxed items and place them into her shoulder bag as she continued to walk along the aisle.

Nicho Hynes is the Cronulla Sharks halfback. Picture: Dave Rowland

Hynes then walked into another aisle where she picked up a smaller boxed item and put it into her bag.

Hynes put vegetables and a purple can on the checkout conveyor and paid with her debit card but made no attempt to pay for the items in her bag.

The officer stopped Hynes at the store exit where she admitted, “yes I didn’t pay for those” before she showed the officer the two boxes of chocolates and bandaids, which came to a combined cost of $20.05.

Hynes went to Sutherland police station on May 23 where she admitted “I had done it”.

Julie Hynes, pictured with lawyer Warwick Korn, tried to avoid the media after she was sentenced. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

The court documents state Hynes had no financial stability and was requesting Centrelink aid.

The court heard Hynes made Community Corrections immediately aware of her latest brush with the law and they had declined to take further action.

In court, defence lawyer Warwick Korn said Hynes was deeply remorseful, had made an error and “owned” the theft.

Magistrate Holly Kemp said she was concerned that only a short time after being placed on an intensive correction order had Hynes committed the shoplifting offence.

Nicho Hynes, spoke to the media after his mother was released from prison in May. Picture: David Swift

She accepted the offence was in the lower range given the value of the items stolen.

“Business in and around Cronulla support many people in the community and you should not be committing this type of offence,” Ms Kemp said.

The magistrate accepted Hynes was remorseful as detailed in her apology letter but took note of her lengthy criminal record.

Ms Kemp noted Hynes had said in her letter that she was concerned about being recognised as Nicho Hynes’ mother but Ms Kemp noted that was “inevitable” if her son was famous.

She reminded Hynes she must be of good behaviour and not commit further crimes while subject to an intensive correction order or it could be revoked and she risked going back to prison.