Kara Curtis steals from Beechworth Bakery staff hours before court hearing

A Sebastopol mum who can’t help stealing what doesn’t belong to her stole from a Ballarat bakery just a few doors down from the court where she had a bail hearing hours later.

Kara Curtis stole from a worker at Beechworth Bakery just hours before attending court down the road. Photo: Google Maps

A serial Sebastopol thief attended a court hearing with property she stole from a shop just two blocks down the road hours before.

Kara Curtis, 35, faced Ballarat Magistrates’ Court where it was heard Curtis entered an unlocked garage at a home in Alfredton on the afternoon of May 13, 2023 and stole a $300 cordless drill.

Later in the evening she went to a corner store in the same suburb and was filmed on CCTV looking at items in the backyard.

A person was alerted remotely and used speakers on the property’s security cameras to tell Curtis to leave.

She was “spooked” and left.

Also in May, Curtis was staying at a hotel in Alfredton, where she stole three electronic tablets worth $1000, $300 cash from a register, and $80 from the tip jar of an adjoining restaurant.

She tried to get into a safe at the motel office and stole room keys and a car key.

A little over a week later, she went back to the hotel – though she was not staying there at the time – and tried to jimmy a window open.

She ended up stealing $110 cash and took the tip jar again.

Afterwards, police found her hiding under her bed.

Curtis also stole from a property in Wendouree, and in July, from a one in Ballarat Central.

On the morning of August 1, she entered Beechworth Bakery, two doors down from the Ballarat law courts.

Curtis entered a staff only room and rummaged through lockers, snatching phones, car keys, a purse, and a jacket.

She went back to the shop’s customer area and sat down, taking all the cards from the purse and leaving the actual purse behind.

Hours later, she attended the magistrates’ court for a bail hearing with the stolen property in her backpack.

She said she did not have a reason for the behaviour.

“It’s my mental health,” she said.

Curtis pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in October.