Clearer Tracey Lee Ross 44, stole over $5000 jewellery from an elderly client in Gracemere

A cleaner took advantage of trusting clients who left their valuables in their bedroom by stealing jewellery worth more than $5000. Here’s what happened in court.

Tracey Lee Ross 44, stole over $5000 jewellery from Gracemere elderly cleaning client

A cleaner took advantage of trusting clients who left their valuables in their bedroom by stealing jewellery worth more than $5000 and one gold wedding ring with an unknown value the victim had possessed for 60 years.

The now former cleaner, Tracey Lee Ross, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on May 31 to one count of stealing, one of dishonestly gaining cash, one of possessing drugs and one of possessing drug utensils.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said the victim, aged 83, had cleaning service assistance due to her husband’s health, with two cleaners arriving at her Gracemere residence about 6am on February 18, 2022 and leaving about 9.30am after completing the cleaning.

She said the victim lodged a complaint with police on February 21 about the stolen items, which had been kept on a bedside table in the main bedroom.

Tracey Lee Ross 44, stole over $5000 jewellery from Gracemere elderly cleaning client

The stolen jewellery included a gold velvet bracelet worth $1000 and a gold bracelet with sapphires worth $3500, along with a gold eternity ring and a gold wedding ring both of unknown value.

The wedding ring had been in the owner’s possession for 60 years. There was also a gold necklace with a pearl pendant worth about $700 that was stolen.

Senior Constable Rowe said police, in their investigations, discovered Ross had pawned two items at Kings Cash Exchange on Fitzroy Street on February 19 and the bracelet with sapphires was pawned at Cash Converters the same day for $135.

Ross, 44, was also busted with 12.9 grams of marijuana and drug utensils – a grinder and pipe – in her bedroom when police executed a search warrant at her residence on March 29 about 4pm in relation to the stolen jewellery.

Police were able to recover all stolen items except for the gold necklace.

Senior Constable Rowe said Ross told police she had stolen the jewellery to pawn due to “being in a bad financial place and not receiving enough hours at work”.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said Ross was a single mother of five children aged 19-28, had 12 grandchildren and her youngest child was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

She said Ross was undergoing counselling for trauma and planned to seek a prescription for sleeping medications instead of using marijuana.

Ms Legrady said her client now worked at Rocky Sports Club in various roles and had worked at the cleaning business since 2018 but was fired after these charges were laid.

She said Ross was now earning enough to cover her cost of living.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale told Ross she needed to address her drug use, with the amount of marijuana found by police being significant.

She placed Ross on a 12-month probation order and order she pay restitution totalling $1185 to the three victims – the pawn brokers and the elderly jewellery owner.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Clearer Tracey Lee Ross 44, stole over $5000 jewellery from an elderly client in Gracemere