Samantha Alnes pleads guilty to selling stolen bike at Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court

A woman who sold a stolen $2000 bike for just $300 at a Melbourne pawn shop claims she only offloaded it because her son wanted cash instead.

Samantha Alnes fronts Braodmeadows Magistrates’ Court. Picture: Facebook

A woman who sold a stolen $2000 bike for just $300 at a Melbourne pawn shop claims she only offloaded it because her son wanted cash instead.

Samantha Alnes fronted Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday via an audiovisual link where she pleaded guilty to negligently dealing with proceeds of crime.

The 50-year-old was caught selling a Cannondale SuperSix EVO to Cash Converters in Glenroy in January last year.

The bike had been stolen from a storage cage just a week earlier.

Alnes — who provided her name, address and a photograph at the store — was caught when Cash Converters flagged the bike on a police database.

When asked whether she had stolen the bike, Alnes told police: “I’m going to say yes and I’m going to say no because I’m really not sure.”

On Tuesday her lawyer Alastair Kennedy said his client had made a “seriously foolish mistake”, claiming she had bought the bike from a friend’s boyfriend intending to give it to her son.

But when her son said he would rather have the money, Alnes decided to sell the bike instead, Mr Kennedy said.

The court also heard Alnes had been homeless since 2020, sleeping in her car or couch-surfing, but was now in stable community housing.

Mr Kennedy said Alnes had PTSD, epilepsy and depression and made about $1200 a fortnight.

Magistrate Heather Lambrick said while she accepted Alnes’ explanation, the crime was serious.

“This is serious offending from the point of view of the person who suddenly finds their bike is (gone) and in a cash converting store … it’s fortunate they were able to get it back,” she said.

“But the inconvenience to people and these types of things happening is enormous and you need to be deterred from similar behaviour.”

Ms Lambrick also said Alnes had a “relevant history” but said part of her criminal history was to do with her “circumstances”.

“I am pleased and delighted to hear your circumstances have changed … constant housing puts you in a less vulnerable position,” she said.

Alnes’ was placed on a good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $200 with a conviction recorded.