Charlene Maree Jones fined at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court for stealing from Coles supermarket

A Bendigo mother told a court she stole a produce sticker printer so her associates would stop using children to pilfer meat from a local Coles.

Charlene Jones stole a produce sticker printer from coles. Photo by Asanka Ratnayake.

A Bendigo mother stole a produce sticker printer from Coles before “yelling and screaming” as she left the store, a court has heard.

Charlene Maree Jones’ hapless heist at the Williamson St Coles in the Bendigo CBD was caught on CCTV about 6pm on August 28 when she walked into the store and stole the printer sitting on a shelf in the meat section.

The court heard the 38-year-old mother waved the printing machine valued at $1055 used to mark down stock at the CCTV camera before leaving the store “yelling and screaming”.

Jones told the court she stole the sticker printer to give to associates using her kids to steal from stores. Picutre: by Asanka Ratnayake.

When police asked why she had stolen the machine, she said “because I can” and “to prove a point”.

Jones, who represented herself, told the court associates of hers at the time had been using children to go into supermarkets and steal meat.

She said she stole the printer so her associates could mark down the prices of meat themselves instead of using children to rob the stores.

The court heard she had previously faced court for stealing a roast lamb from an IGA.

She told Magistrate Russell Kelly she was undergoing therapy to help get over her drug addiction and get her life in a “better direction”.

Jones told Mr Kelly she had found religion and was doing “bible studies with the old ladies”.

“That day I was just in a state of mind of despair,” she said.

“A childish moment of chucking a tantrum.”

Mr Kelly convicted and fined Jones $750 and ordered her to compensate the store $1055 for stealing