Sofia Naccari: Paddington hospitality worker sentenced for shoplifting luxury foods
An eastern suburbs restaurant employee was slammed for her “disgraceful” behaviour after she was caught stealing expensive groceries, including swordfish and air dried Wagyu beef.
Wentworth Courier
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The behaviour of a restaurant worker living in the up-market eastern suburbs was labelled “disgraceful” by a magistrate who told the court she skimmed pricey wagyu steaks and swordfish while grocery shopping.
Sofia Naccari, 27, of Paddington, pleaded guilty to shoplifting to a value less than $2000 at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday.
According to police documents tendered to court about 2.45pm on January 4 police were called to Coles at Westfield Bondi Junction after witnesses saw Naccari not pay for $24 worth of food and leave the store.
Plain clothes police attached to Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command’s proactive crime team had been targeting shoplifting offences around Westfield and were working with loss prevention officers employed by individual stores.
After locating the stolen food items on Naccari, she admitted she hadn’t paid for a total of $61.18 worth of food.
Naccari was banned from all Coles in NSW and Westfield Bondi Junction for 12 months.
Police state Naccari stole fresh swordfish steaks, wagyu air dried beef, Vanish Preen Oxi Action, Rana gnocchi, Rana spinach ricotta, and tomato pizza base from Coles and Harris Farm supermarkets.
The court heard the woman – who came from Italy to live and work in Australia – had been sending money home to her family who were suffering from the after effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
She lived with her partner in Paddington and was employed in the restaurant industry.
Naccari’s lawyer Jonathan Jaramillo said his client had accepted responsibility for her actions and was undertaking treatments including cognitive behavioural therapy with a psychologist to combat her “impulse” to compulsively steal.
“She’s doing something so that she doesn’t return to court,” Mr Jaramillo said.
Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge accepted the hospitality worker had undertaken steps toward rehabilitation.
However, Ms Milledge said several factors concerned her, including that it was the second time Naccari had come to the attention of police for shoplifting and was on a visa.
Police facts confirm Naccari was issued a criminal infringement notice on December 23 for shoplifting in respect of a separate incident at Westfield Bondi Junction.
Ms Milledge said her behaviour in a “host country” was “really disgraceful”.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” she said. “You’re out thieving … it’s not like you’re impoverished and you’re buying bread. You’re buying swordfish and wagyu steak.”
Ms Milledge convicted Naccari and sentenced her to a 18-month community corrections order with supervision under the condition she not commit further offences and appear at court if called to do so.
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