Ice addicted Pakenham hairdresser stole clothes from Kmart, told police ice was Epsom salts
A serial fibber has landed herself in hot water after telling police a string of lies including that ice in her handbag was Epsom salts she used to clean her jewellery. But the Pakenham hairdresser’s lawyer said an emotional incident triggered the woman’s drug use.
South East
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A Pakenham hairdresser turned ice addict told police drugs in her handbag were Epsom salts used to wash her jewellery, a court has heard.
And more of serial fibber Nicole Smith’s porky pies included forgetting to pay for petrol because she was too high after a visit to the dentist, and stealing a trolley load of Kmart goods because her husband hadn’t transferred money into her bank account.
The Dandenong Magistrates Court heard eagle eyed shoppers watched carefully at Fountain Gate Kmart as the 27-year-old loaded up her trolley with dressing gowns, tracksuits and hats valued at $170 about 6pm on July 25.
And when Smith only paid for a $15 shirt in the self-serve section and wheeled her trolley out of the store, a witness waved down two Protective Service Officers who approached Smith as walked out of the centre.
The PSOs called in for police back-up, who approached Smith in the carpark.
“She told them she had to call her partner to transfer money, and that a bag of methamphetamine in her bag was Epsom salts she used to clean jewellery,” the prosecution said.
The serial thief was also caught on CCTV nabbing a $129 electric toothbrush from Chemist Warehouse Pakenham on April 4 this year and stole petrol from Narre Warren on May 29 and Scoresby on November 11 last year.
And on February 2 last year police officers found the disqualified driver parked on the side of the road at Pakenham with what was believed to be ice inside stashed inside her Mimco purse.
The prosecution said Smith told police she “may have” forgotten to pay for petrol at Scoresby because she had just been to the dentist and medication may have caused her to leave without paying up.
Smith pleaded guilty to theft and two counts of criminal damage relating to another incident involving her housemate on February 2.
“She’s only been using ice over the past 12-18 months … (after a relationship breakdown), that’s when things went awry,” Smith’s lawyer said.
Magistrate Tony Burns ordered Smith to be assessed for a community corrections order.
brittany.goldsmith@news.com.au
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