Tamara Aldwell: Petrol thief spat in man’s face and threatened to give him Covid

A mother of nine has faced court after ripping off multiple petrol stations and Wonthaggi businesses before spitting in a man’s face and threatening to give him Covid.

A mother of nine, originally from Wonthaggi, is being assessed for a community corrections order after she spat in the face of a man and threatened to give him Covid.

Tamara Aldwell, aged in her 30s, pleaded guilty in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Monday to multiple theft charges and an assault charge.

The court heard she stole hundreds of dollars worth of fuel and groceries before spitting on a man’s face.

Aldwell and a co-accused entered a Woolworths in Sale in June 2019 and proceeded to each choose a trolley and fill it with items.

Police told the court they were captured on CCTV and an off-duty staff member witnessed them leaving the store without making any attempt to pay for their items, estimated to be worth hundreds of dollars.

The court heard Aldwell claimed in a police interview she could provide a bank statement to prove she paid but it was never provided.

Aldwell then went to a United petrol station in Moe in August 2019 with another person before the pair ran away after a dispute about payment.

They were found by police hiding behind a tree.

Later that month Aldwell hit a petrol station in Morwell where she stole $39 worth of fuel.

Aldwell then drove while disqualified to a Caltex petrol station in Morwell in October 2019. She filled her car and a jerry can with fuel, totalling $84.68, and left without attempting to pay.

Tamara Aldwell faced the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court on Monday over multiple theft charges.

When police attended her address later in the evening they noticed two cars with stolen registration plates.

Later in October Aldwell went to the petrol station in Grantville. She filled up her car and told the shop attendant her car had broken down and asked to leave it at pump seven.

The attendant told Aldwell she couldn’t do this but helped her push the car into a parking space. She then attempted to leave.

Aldwell branched out from stealing petrol in November 2019 and collected a receipt for Target which had been discarded outside the plaza in Wonthaggi.

She took the receipt into Target, collected the items listed and then went to the service desk and asked for a refund on the items, valued at $188. The cashier told Aldwell the refund could only be processed on the card used to make the purchase.

The court heard Aldwell told the cashier she didn’t have the card and proceeded to ask for store credit. This was denied and Aldwell told the cashier she would go to her car to get the card however she never returned, leaving the items in the store.

When interviewed the court heard she “thought it was a good idea to get some money” but later realised it was “stupid”.

Aldwell continued her stealing spree in December 2020, nicking $103 worth of items from Wonthaggi Bunnings.

Aldwell was visiting her stepmother’s house in September 2021 when an altercation began with the neighbour.

The court heard Aldwell spat in the victim’s face and said “cop my Covid”.

Aldwell’s offending caused her to breach a community corrections order she was serving over previous offending but the magistrate decided she could again be assessed for a community corrections order.

She will return to court later in the week for sentencing.