Catherine Rigby: Templestowe woman’s alleged deception, unlicensed driving charges

A Templestowe woman accused of deception and other offences has been banned from a hardware giant’s stores as part of her bail conditions.

Templestowe’s Catherine Rigby, 34, is accused of obtaining power tools by deception in Eltham on February 28, 2020. File picture.

A woman has been banned from visiting every Bunnings stores in Victoria as part of her bail conditions set by a magistrate for a string of alleged offences including theft and deception.

Templestowe’s Catherine Rigby, 34, faced Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on July 13 for a hearing in relation to 15 charges from a series of alleged incidents in Melbourne’s east and north in 2020 and 2021.

Court documents showed Ms Rigby had been charged over matters surrounding unlicensed driving, deception, theft, and providing false information to claim a Covid-19 support payment from the state government.

On one occasion, it is alleged Ms Rigby used a stolen credit card to purchase four tool kits valued at $4136.15 in Eltham on February 28, 2020.

On the same day, she was charged with unlicensed driving on Bridge Rd in Eltham.

Ms Rigby failed to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court as part of bail conditions from her alleged offending on March 18, 2021.

Less than a week later, she was allegedly involved in deception offences in Lower Templestowe on March 24.

She was charged in September with six counts of obtaining property by deception.

Her most recent alleged offence was in Templestowe on June 25, 2021, where she was again allegedly caught driving unlicensed on Serpells Rd.

In adjourning the matters for a consolidated plea hearing, Magistrate Susan Armour extended Ms Rigby’s bail, with conditions explained to her in the courtroom.

She requested Ms Rigby continue to live in Templestowe, and did not visit any Bunnings store in the state.

Ms Rigby will reappear at the court on February 10.