Norlane woman Julie Perry helped to steal catalytic converters from cars at train station, shopping centre

A Norlane woman said she was being “threatened with physical violence” when she helped a man cut off parts from cars parked at a train station and shopping centre.

Julie Perry used her car to shield a man from view as he cut off catalytic converters from other vehicles parked in public spaces. Picture: Google Maps.

A Norlane woman shielded a man as he cut off and stole catalytic converters from cars in train station and shopping centre carparks.

While the co-accused man went from car to car at the Deer Park Railway Station, and used a saw to cut the converters off, 34-year-old Norlane woman Julie Perry blocked him from the view of the public.

Perry, who pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court to the charges, positioned her car so the man remained unseen while he caused more than $3780 in damage and stole items worth $800.

The two then travelled to the Watergardens Shopping Centre in Taylors Lake where they repeated the crime, this time causing $5450 worth of damage and stealing around $400 worth of items.

Perry claimed she was being “pressured” by the co-accused man who was “heavily drug affected” at the time of the offending.

The mother-of-five told the court she was “threatened with physical violence if she didn’t assist” the co-accused man in the thefts.

When police arrived at her Norlane house, they found the clothing she was wearing at the time of the thefts along with two ziplock bags full of cannabis and the saw the man used.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie said there was a “fair degree of planning”.

“I think it was planned, I think it was executed with that plan in mind and you were, for want of a better word, a decoy,” Mr Guthrie said.

“I consider it serious. The consequences and impact on the victims … and the damage to their vehicles.”

Mr Guthrie warned Perry that the maximum penalty would have been “long term jail” but acknowledged her plea of guilty.

“(There was) thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the cars.

“(It would have caused) personal heartache and stress to the victims,” Mr Guthrie said.

Perry was placed on an adjourned undertaking, meaning she cannot reoffend in the next twelve months or risk a re-sentence.

She was also convicted, fined and ordered to pay compensation.

Originally published as Norlane woman Julie Perry helped to steal catalytic converters from cars at train station, shopping centre