South Morang mum Cynthia Fenech charged with Costco chook damage and trafficking meth

A hothead mum who hurled a roast chook at a Melbourne Costco customer had her wings clipped for trafficking meth and GHB.

Cynthia Fenech was charged with wilful damage after she threw a roast chicken at a Costco Epping customer. Picture: Facebook

A hothead junkie mum who hurled a $6.99 roast chicken at an opposition customer after an argument sparked at Costco Epping has been jailed for trafficking drugs.

Cynthia Fenech, 40, was sentenced in County Court on Thursday to a minimum two year and six month jail term after pleading guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of meth and 1,4 butanediol.

Fenech was done for trafficking drugs at her former Thornbury home between November 19, 2020 and January 28 last year.

Police launched covert sting “Operation Measles” to take down Fenech’s racket.

An undercover cop befriended Fenech in the cells at Preston police station, the court heard.

The cop asked Fenech if she knew where to find “G” — a code for meth.

“Yeah my place,” Fenech told the cop.

Fenech said she could score a gram of meth for $500 and could also get ‘Juice’, slang for GHB or 1,4 butanediol.

The court heard Fenech sold meth and bute to undercover cops on eight occasions.

The transactions increased in size and occurred at Fenech’s home, a Footscray property, at Carlton and the Thomastown Recreation and Aquatic centre.

During one deal, Fenech told cops she was taking a risk moving the “juice” and “you’ll do five years” for trafficking commercial quantity drugs.

Fenech sold 109g of meth and more than 7kg of bute for a combined $33,800 to undercover cops.

Fenech pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Drug Court last month to multiple charges including wilfully damage property, theft and assault an emergency services worker.

Fenech and an accomplice got into a spat with two men while queuing at the Deveny Rd Costco check-out on December 24 last year.

The court heard Fenech “engaged in an argument” with the two customers who had queued up behind her before an assistant warehouse manager attempted to “resolve the situation”.

However, Fenech escalated the spat which occurred just after 5pm.

Fenech reached into their trolley, pulled out their carefully selected rotisserie chicken and pinged it at her shopping nemesis.

The chook hit the man’s torso, fell from its packaging and lobbed on the floor where it was “destroyed”.

The prosecution submitted Fenech did not purchase the rotisserie chicken nor did she have “authorisation or permission” to damage it.

“The chicken was valued at $6.99,” the prosecutor said.

Magistrate Suzie Cameron queried the wording of the chook charge which read “wilfully injure property” and pointed out no assault charges had been laid.

“There was no complaint made by the other customer … in what amounted to an unlawful assault … there is no charge in relation to that …,” Magistrate Cameron said.

“The complainant is, of course, Costco because their chicken has been damaged …

“What could be the danger … to the chicken … I can presume it (the damage) was only to the chicken or the floor it hit … what damage could a chicken do, it could only be the chicken …

“The only property that can reasonably be said to be damaged was the chicken and it says property not animal …”

Fenech then left Costco but the cops found her at a Bundoora laundrette on February 6.

Fenech, a prolific criminal with a horrid history of drug use, was on the run for a burglary at Chemist Discount Centre Doreen on January 19 this year.

The court heard Fenech stole goods worth $307 before rifling through a staffroom where she nicked wallets and phones.

Chemist staff spotted Fenech, of South Morang, drive off in a car despite being unlicensed at the time.

Fenech also stole baby formula from two supermarkets in July and August last year.

Fenech also spat at police — calling a member a “f---ing dog” — during a hostile custody stint last August.

Magistrate Cameron said she “regretted” giving Fenech a chance to bypass drug court “sanctions” after her grandfather died late last year.

Magistrate Cameron also dismissed a submission Fenech’s drug use spiked because her grandfather died.

“(Fenech said) ‘let me out to be with my family to grieve’,” Magistrate Cameron said.

“I’m not sure we can blame that situation for a lapse (into drug use) … she was given a golden opportunity.”

Fenech, who will be sentenced for a chook escapade at a later date, was jailed for a maximum four years.