Olympic diver Chantelle Lee Newbery, 44, of Redland Bay jailed for stealing

She was a national hero in 2004 when she stood on the dais at Athens to hold up her gold medal for diving. But Chantelle Newbery’s long, sad downward slide has now ended with a jail sentence.

Former Olympian turned ice addict and serial thief Chantelle Newbery will have until December 10 to reflect in a jail cell on her sad, painful and long downward slide.

Newbery, who had been remanded in custody, faced Cleveland Magistrates Court this afternoon (November 10) for the latest in a string of thefts.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta told her “there must be a consequence” for her repeat offending, this time after she stole within 10 days of receiving a community prison order.

A “distressed and disappointed” Newbery, 44, of Redland Bay told the court she was doing well before “stuffing up”.

The former Commonwealth and Olympic gold medallist and Medal of the Order of Australia winner pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing and a single charge of possessing drug utensils.

The court heard Newbery had been sentenced to a four-month intensive correction order for stealing groceries on November 1 but reoffended 10 days later.

Olympic gold medallist Chantelle Newbery at Cleveland Magistrates Court last year. Picture: Marcel Baum

Newbery, the court was told, had been caught stealing $113 dollars in groceries including mince, yoghurt, cleaning cloths and body wash from Woolworths in Capalaba, as well as $150 in bed sheets from Target on November 9.

A glass pipe, suspected to have been used for smoking meth, was found in a sunglasses case on her person during a subsequent search.

The offending came after what prosecutors described as a substantial criminal history of widespread and “planned” stealing.

The court heard Newbery had previously stolen items at Carina Heights, Capalaba, Woolloongabba, Ormiston, Robina Town Centre, Carindale and Helensvale, among other locations.

For those offences she had previously received community service, lengthy terms of probation, recognisance and most recently an intensive corrections order, according to prosecutors.

Ms Vasta contemplated releasing the mother of two on bail but prosecutors urged that “there must be consequences for her offending”.

Newbery pleaded with Ms Vasta that she had in fact been doing well during an “emotional” week, before “stuffing up”.

“She told the almost exact same story last week,” a police prosecutor said.

“She is a recidivist offender; she is not complying with any court orders … and she continues to flout any order the court has put in place.

“(And) she is not exculpated in law through mental health.”

Her lawyer, Tanya Lacy, said her client accepted all the facts, had been “trying really hard” and had been clean of ice while recently in pre-sentence custody for 13 days.

Newbery told the court she was glad that security staff had apprehended her because it had put a break on her offending.

Cleveland Magistrates Court heard Newbery had been stealing “for years”. Picture: Claudia Baxter

“They jumped on me so god d**n quick … I stuffed up everything,” she said.

Ms Vasta was “astounded” by Newbery’s continued offending after sentencing her only last week.

“I am not sure at what point you will change,” Ms Vasta said.

“You have been doing this for years.

“There must be a consequence for your behaviour.

“You’re back on the drugs after 10 days.”

Newbery was sentenced to six months in prison with a December 10 parole date.

Moments later, she contemplated reducing the sentence to two weeks, but the prosecutor submitted that the sentence had been delivered.

The sentence of one month’s actual imprisonment was therefore maintained.

Originally published as Olympic diver Chantelle Lee Newbery, 44, of Redland Bay jailed for stealing