Jessica Ludeman jailed for four months after crime spree
A Morwell woman who threatened a terrified Centrelink manager and went on a crime spree has tried to argue her behaviour was not malicious. Here’s what happened.
Bass Coast News
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A Morwell woman who called a Centrelink manager a “f**king dog” has been put behind bars for four months.
Jessica Ludeman, 29, pleaded guilty in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates court to several charges including unlawful assault, theft, burglary, criminal damage and committing two indictable offences while on bail.
The court heard on April 5, 2019 Ludeman went to Centrelink in Morwell which she was banned from attending without an appointment.
The manager gave Ludeman a copy of the banning notice but Ludeman proceeded to verbally abuse the terrified victim saying “you f**king dog, you better watch out when you leave, your car might just go boom and I mean it this time”.
On June 10, 2019 Ludeman went to Coles in Morwell and stole three packets of souvlaki meat.
She was identified by CCTV footage and by staff who have ongoing issues with her.
When interviewed by police, Ludeman said she could not remember the incident and when shown CCTV stills, she said that it “wasn’t her” and that police had doctored the images.
Ludeman’s lawyer Brett Cranswick said she has had “lifelong difficulties” and her offending was a “nuisance rather than malicious”.
Magistrate Jacinta Studham said Ludeman’s offences are “annoying for the public”.
“A lot of this offending is nuisance related with really poor behaviour towards members of the community,” Ms Studham said.
Ms Studham said Ludeman needs to “sort herself out” and get her “mental health under control”.
“When your mental health is not great, you run around the community smashing windows and abusing people”.
Ludeman was sentenced to four months imprisonment.
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