Kelsie Birmingham: property stylist convicted of receiving stolen furniture

A property stylist collapsed and sobbed after she was sentenced for receiving stolen furniture worth thousands of dollars which she used to style properties.

A Sydney property stylist who fitted out homes for sale with stolen furniture worth thousands of dollars wept as a magistrate criticised her “significant act of dishonesty”.

Kelsie Birmingham, 29, was charged with dealing with the property proceeds of crime after detectives discovered she was using furniture stolen by others from Sydney business Lounge Lovers to style display homes and properties for sale.

Birmingham had recently opened her own business, Salt Property Styling, when she was arrested at her Caringbah factory in April 2019.

Police facts state that between October 2018 and April 2019, Birmingham sent furniture requests which were subsequently fulfilled by other parties – sometimes unlawfully.

Caringbah property stylist Kelsie Birmingham.

Birmingham at court. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

“Birmingham was responsible for the styling and the customer side of the business, while someone else was responsible for obtaining stock and conducting deliveries,” agreed police facts stated.

“Some of the unlawfully obtained furniture was provided to Birmingham to conduct the styling jobs.”

The people who obtained the furniture for Birmingham never explained to her where it came from – but a text obtained by detectives revealed she had some suspicion about their methods.

“I think this whole LL thing is so wrong,” Birmingham texted one of her suppliers.

“It needs to stop – I feel extremely uncomfortable, you are getting too cocky about it all.

“You’re going to get caught out, it needs to stop – please, I don’t want to run a business like this.”

Birmingham.

Birmingham.

Police say the value of the stolen furniture used by Birmingham ranged up to $8000, and she also assisted with a furniture fire sale which netted $2950.

At Downing Centre Local Court on April 16, Magistrate Brett Shields said the court needed to send a message that engaging in dishonest acts attracted a serious punishment.

“People are sentenced to imprisonment for doing this,” Mr Shields said.

“There were people who were the victims of this – it’s an incredibly foolish decision to allow yourself to be drawn into something like this.”

Caringbah property stylist Kelsie Jane Birmingham.

Mr Shields convicted Birmingham and sentenced her to an 18-month supervised community corrections order and a requirement to continue her mental health treatment.

“I can see that you are not likely to do anything like this again,” Mr Shields said.

“The regrettable fact is that you did and I’m sure it’s going to be a very harsh lesson for you.”

Kelsie Birmingham is seen leaving the Downing Centre Courts in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

At her sentencing, Birmingham’s barrister Dev Bhutani told the court the charge would have “untold consequences into the future” for his client.

“Her role is really quite minor in the larger scheme of things,” Mr Bhutani told the court.

“The other offender was responsible for obtaining the stock, and she was dealing with clients, real estate agents – the front end of the business.”

However, a Crown prosecutor noted a full month elapsed between Birmingham’s message to her supplier asking them to cease and police’s subsequent involvement.

“Other furniture was stolen that she was still benefiting from – there were properties they were being placed in,” the Crown prosecutor said.

Birmingham will appeal her sentence’s severity in the Sydney District Court on June 28.

Birmingham returns to court next month.