Cobram hairdresser allegedly sold drugs and stole sportswear to feed addiction
Cobram hairdresser Stephanie Schwarzenberg allegedly dealt drugs and stole sportswear in a series of offences across Melton and Cobram, the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court has heard.
Goulburn Valley
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A Cobram hairdresser who allegedly peddled drugs and stole $300 worth of sportswear turned to illegal substances to cope with the death of her brother, a court has heard.
Stephanie Schwarzenberg, 27, from Cobram, was charged with theft, drug trafficking and drug possession related to a string of offences from June to August.
The court heard the accused allegedly stole Nike pants and an Adidas jacket worth $130 from a store in Melton with a co-accused on June 12, which led to a confrontation with the store manager in the carpark, before the pair left without paying.
Nearly a week later, Ms Schwarzenberg then allegedly stuffed two black Nike T-shirts in her handbag from a store at Bank St Cobram, and stole a pink Elwood jumper from a nearby store on June 18.
Under a search warrant, Ms Schwarzenberg was later found with 1,4-Butanediol – similar to GHB – and a small ziplock bag of cannabis.
Her mobile phone was seized by police, and her messages allegedly showed evidence of the sale and exchange of drugs.
While the accused was on bail, she was allegedly caught again on August 28 with multiple containers of 1,4-Butanediol, as well as cannabis, Xanax, and methamphetamine in Kurunjang near Melton – about 250km from Cobram.
Ms Schwarzenberg allegedly said she used 1,4-Butanediol every half-hour, and was taken into custody for also breaching her bail conditions, the court was told.
Ms Schwarzenberg’s defence lawyer said her client was a qualified hairdresser and more recently a steel factory worker in Yarroweyah, who suffered from a multi-substance drug addiction.
The lawyer said the accused lost her brother to a heart condition about a decade ago and had not found the right counsellor to unpack her grief.
The court heard the accused had found solace in drug use, and despite having priors and leaving a rehab centre early in April, she wanted to break the cycle of addiction.
Magistrate Mary-Anne MacCallum said Ms Schwarzenberg had “relapsed badly” and wanted her to be assessed before handing down a sentence.
“Because of the seriousness and the aggravated factors, she’ll need to serve more time,” Ms MacCallum said.
The matter was adjourned to October 9.
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Contact Madi Chwasta at madi.chwasta@news.com.au
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