Rosebud Aldi thieves used trolley to try to foil chasing staff after stealing bags of groceries
A woman and her mate filled two bags with groceries in Rosebud Aldi and walked straight out of the store. But the pair’s attempt to flee failed, with one ending up before a magistrate.
South East
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A thief and her pilfering pal brazenly stole bags of groceries from Rosebud Aldi before trying to ram a trolley into chasing staff.
Natasha Oates pleaded guilty to a shoplifting charge at Frankston Magistrates’ Court yesterday and the 24-year-old also admitted possessing stolen goods after she was found with a pinched purse.
The court heard Oates was with a mate when they went into Aldi in Rosebud about 2pm on March 8 this year.
They carried two empty bags inside and filled them with groceries as they walked down the aisles and the pair then walked straight out without making any attempt to pay.
Staff gave chase and the duo ran off with Oates’ mate grabbing a trolley and pushing it at full speed into their pursuers, stopping them in their tracks.
The thieves dropped the $111 worth of groceries then ran across Pt Nepean Rd and along the foreshore.
Cops had been called and the pair was soon found and identified through CCTV footage.
Officers also found Oakes in possession of a pink purse with bank cards belonging to someone else.
The purse and a handbag had been stolen from a campsite the day before.
Oates, who told police she was homeless, admitted being inside the Aldi store but said she had left the bags full of groceries inside and had not stolen anything.
She said she had “found” the purse and “planned to return it”.
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Her defence lawyer said a bond was appropriate as she had no prior convictions, had already spent two days in custody and was not homeless any more.
Magistrate Timothy Gattuso agreed, saying two days’ jail was more than enough punishment for the low severity of her crimes.
Oates was released from custody and placed on a six-month good behaviour bond, with no conviction recorded.
No details of her co-offender were aired in court.