Serial shoplifter stole more than $5k of perfume from southeast chemists to sell online
A woman stole thousands of dollars worth of fragrances from southeast chemists to sell online to pay for drugs. Police sensed something was off and arrested her with a plethora of perfumes.
South East
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A prolific perfume pilferer thieved thousands of dollars’ worth of fragrances from chemists across the southeast so she could flog them online to feed her drug habit.
Stacey Snow also tried to fake a kidnapping to get more money to fuel her ice and GHB addictions, and repeatedly drove even though she has never held a licence.
At Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday the 35-year-old from Frankston pleaded guilty via video link to theft, assault, driving and making a false report charges.
The court heard during a crime spree last year she would target chemist stores and pilfer perfumes, steal beauty products and pocket expensive vitamins.
In August last year Snow attended the Beauty Spot at Parkmore Shopping Centre in Keysborough and stole $539 worth of perfumes, concealing them in her clothes.
She also targeted Chemist Warehouse in Dandenong, knocking off more than $3000 of perfume before leaving the store and getting in her car.
Security staff followed her outside and when they confronted her about the theft she lashed out, punching a female guard in the face.
Police were called and when they searched the car they found 97 bottles of fragrance and a small vial of GHB.
She hit Direct Chemist Outlet in Seaford in May, robbing the pharmacy of perfumery to the tune of $350.
And over three consecutive days in July she ripped off Myer in Bayside Shopping Centre in Frankston of perfume, beauty products and vitamins worth a total of more than $1700.
She had been spotted on CCTV and police tracked her down through her hire car.
At her house and in the car they discovered a plethora of perfumes, baby items, hair care products and handbags with pricing labels on them ready to sell online.
In February her former partner came into Oakleigh police station saying Snow had been kidnapped and he had to pay $1000 for her release.
Emergency police response units were deployed, only to spot her on their way driving a car in Clayton South.
She said she had not been kidnapped but admitted driving without a licence, saying she had never held one.
She was also caught behind the wheel in Seaford in February last year and again in Carrum Downs in April last year.
Snow’s lawyer said she had PTSD from an extremely traumatic childhood and suffered family violence as an adult which led to drug abuse and anxiety.
He said her offending was committed to fuel her longstanding substance abuse issues and some of the shoplifting was done at the behest of a man she knew.
She has spent a total of 27 days on remand so far.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said he accepted there were significant mental health concerns which were reflected in her drug and criminal history.
But he said the level of this offending was high and was deserving of more time in jail combined with a therapeutic community corrections order.
He adjourned the case for an assessment and will sentence her at a later date.
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