Heidi Nicolette Kearins pleads guilty to stealing, receiving tainted property

A 53-year-old South Burnett vegetarian pleaded guilty to stealing $290 worth of meat from a SPAR supermarket while blackout drunk after finding it in her paddock.

SPAR supermarket Blackbutt

A vegetarian pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of dollars worth of meat from a supermarket after becoming heavily intoxicated, a court has heard.

Heidi Nicolette Kearins, 53, from Teelah pleaded guilty in the Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Monday to stealing and receiving tainted property.

Police prosecutor Barry Stevens said when police arrived to Kearins’ house with a search warrant, they found $290 worth of meat in her freezer, suspected of being stolen from the Blackbutt SPAR supermarket.

He said when police arrived, Kearins appeared to be “intoxicated”.

“She denied stealing the items saying she doesn’t even eat such meat,” Sergeant Stevens said.

The court was told Kearins told police she had found the meat in her paddock and assumed it was left behind by people who had been staying on the property.

Sgt Stevens said Kearins, who was on probation at the time, admitted to being heavily intoxicated for the past three weeks and conceded she might have taken the meat without realising it.

When police showed the meat to the SPAR supermarket, they estimated it had been taken between April 7 and 11.

Police also seized council waste bins from Kearins’ property that did not belong to her.

SPAR supermarket Blackbutt

Kearins’ lawyer, Colin Murray, described her as “very ashamed” and “very embarrassed”.

He said Kearins had previously been in a relationship with someone from a “shady background”.

“Shall we say, highway 61 outlaw motorcycle club from New Zealand,” Mr Murray said.

He attributed her actions to excessive alcohol consumption, which began after a period of calm in her life.

“Not just using alcohol but abusing alcohol, copious quantities of alcohol, up to two bottles of vodka a day sometimes starting at four o'clock in the morning,” Mr Murray said.

He said Kearins also suffered from mental health issues.

“She’s then realised that something's not right, you can’t just be drinking like that for no reason and she has sought medical help,” the lawyer said.

“She really does not remember taking any of the meat from the SPAR and its superfluous because she doesn’t eat meat.

SPAR supermarket Blackbutt

“She has no knowledge of the meat, she doesn’t eat meat so why would she be stealing meat … she doesn’t know, just out of her mind on alcohol,” he said.

Mr Murray said the wheelie bins on her property were likely taken by someone else living there at the time but she accepted responsibility.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair acknowledged Kearins’ recent positive efforts on probation and community service and said the offences appeared to be “irrational”.

“You’ve obviously realised that you can’t keep drinking alcohol at that rate. It will make you misbehave and will be very harmful to your health,” Mr Sinclair said.

Kearins was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay $290 in compensation to the Blackbutt SPAR supermarket.

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Heidi Nicolette Kearins pleads guilty to stealing, receiving tainted property