Kaleisha Henrick: Launceston woman guilty of 37 offences

A young Tasmanian single mother addicted to ice continuously flouted the law, committing a brazen daylight burglary on an associate’s house and evading police twice among other offences.

A young Tasmanian single mother firmly in the clutches of ice continuously flouted the law, committing a brazen daylight burglary worth $16,500 on an associate’s house and evading police twice among other offences.

Mayfield woman Kaleisha Jane Henrick, 22, pleaded guilty in Launceston Magistrates Court on Tuesday to 37 offences, mostly minor drug and traffic matters, but also stealing, aggravated burglary and evading police twice.

Her offending was committed on various dates between April 24, 2021 – March 22 this year.

On July 1 last year, a male accomplice of Henrick’s phoned an associate, who informed the pair he was in Hobart.

The pair travelled to the man’s address at Longford, where Henrick gained access to the property about 11.30am and used a ladder to enter the roof cavity.

She removed a small safe which contained $10,000 cash, a gold pendant and a vehicle fob, as well as the internet modem, which she believed to be the CCTV box, and left the residence.

The total value of goods swiped was $16,500, of which Henrick received $1000, which she spent on clothing.

She was identified via a palm print left in the bathroom.

On May 17 last year at Ravenswood, Henrick, who was driving while demerit-point suspended and with false plates, evaded police when they waved her to pull over by “accelerating” rapidly and swerving around a traffic island to avoid officers.

About 4.20am on October 21 last year at Invermay, officers attempted to intercept Henrick for an RBT, but she blew a red light after “taking off at speed”, before fleeing on foot and hiding behind a brick fence, where she was detained.

Aside from the above offending, Henrick drove unlicensed or while disqualified on a number of occasions; drug drove with substances including ice, cannabis and speed in her system repeatedly; and possessed cannabis and ice pipes on multiple occasions.

Defence lawyer Berivan Kurdistan told the court her client had been addicted to ice since age 18, when she began using to cope with the death of her father, and her offending was clearly related to her abuse of the damaging drug.

She said her client was “slowly” weaning herself off the drug, which she last used about a week ago.

Ms Kurdistan said her client, who has a five-year-old daughter, is currently receiving benefits.

Magistrate Sharon Cure noted Henrick did not have a “serious” criminal history.

She indicated she would be willing to allow Henrick to stay in the community via a Community Correction Order, which would be of a length between 12–18 months in conjunction with a suspended sentence.

She adjourned her decision to July 8 to allow for the commission of a pre-sentence report.

Originally published as Kaleisha Henrick: Launceston woman guilty of 37 offences