Courtney Jade Mare pleads guilty over stolen guns, jewellery from Blacks Beach home

A Mackay teen has pleaded guilty to her role in stealing guns and jewellery and now must submit to a drug test if she wants to remain on bail.

Courtney Jade Mare is facing nine charges including burglary at Blacks Beach after guns and jewellery were stolen from a home. Photo: Janessa Ekert

Stolen guns are yet to be recovered after a trio allegedly broke into a Blacks Beach home and removed the weapons and jewellery.

A Mackay teen has admitted to her role in the burglary on March 21, 2021 and now she must submit to a drug test if she wants to remain out on bail.

Courtney Jade Mare has pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court to nine charges including enter dwelling with intent, and possessing a knife and drugs at the courthouse while on bail for the burglary.

Her matters were listed for sentence but Magistrate Damien Dwyer halted the proceedings after learning there was no clear information on what items were outstanding and what the restitution would total.

Courtney Jade Mare is facing nine charges including burglary and stealing in Blacks Beach after guns and jewellery were stolen from a home. Photo: Janessa Ekert

“We’ve received part of a list but again the charge itself is for guns and jewellery,” prosecutor Rob Beamish said.

“We’ve received restitution quotes for metal detectors and things that aren’t part of the charge.”

The weapons have not been recovered and Mr Beamish said he did not know “what jewellery was taken, what was returned, what’s outstanding, how much the value was”.

Mr Beamish told the court he had asked the arresting officer to clarify this, but it had not happened yet.

Mare’s solicitor Jenna Du Preez, of Valian Lawyers, said her client had offered to pay $1000 explaining the amount was based on the fact there were three co-offenders including Mare.

“That would be a good deal if it was worth $10,000,” Mr Dwyer said, adding he would not finalise the case until there was a restitution figure.

“They can pay it, the three of them.”

Mr Dwyer labelled the offending as “pretty serious” and asked what penalty Ms Du Preez would be pushing for.

“I accept that imprisonment was always going to be within range … taking into account the fact that she’s 18, she’s got no adult criminal history,” Ms Du Preez said.

Courtney Jade Mare is facing nine charges including burglary and stealing in Blacks Beach after guns and jewellery were stolen from a home. Photo: Janessa Ekert

“In my submission (she) was potentially led astray or the less criminal of the co-accused … she made full admissions to police.”

Mr Dwyer stopped her submission and said he would not deal with the co-accused separately.

“It’s very rarely I’ll do co-accused separately for that exact reason … they all come in here and blame each other,” he said.

Ms Du Preez said she had just been placing her client’s version on the record.

“It may well be that there’s no capacity to pay, which obviously then has to come into the sentence,” Mr Dwyer said.

The court heard Mare was on Centrelink and received about $600 each fortnight.

Mr Dwyer questioned whether Mare should be returned to custody.

“She seems to have been committing offences while she was on bail as well,” he said.

The 18 year old possessed a knife at Mackay courthouse on May 18, followed by drugs on June 23 at the same location.

She is also charged with six counts of breach bail in relation to her reporting conditions.

Ms Du Preez said Mare had not offended since entering guilty pleas on August 19 and had been engaging with YIRS and community mental health.

“I’m going to enlarge your bail, you must go and do a drug test this afternoon, I want the results next week,” Mr Dwyer told her on Thursday.

Mr Dwyer said the case would come back before him and he would deal with Mare and one of her co-accused together, but separate from the third co-accused “because his history is so much worse”.

Matters were adjourned.

Originally published as Courtney Jade Mare pleads guilty over stolen guns, jewellery from Blacks Beach home