Tracey Esma Kotiau bought stolen Suzuki Swift at Sunshine Plaza carpark
‘I’m in a red hot car’: A 44-year-old Birtinya mum told police she knew she was part of a “dodgy” $200 deal for a stolen car after she was busted at a Sunshine Coast resort.
Police & Courts
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A Birtinya mum was arrested at a high end resort after she was caught driving a stolen Suzuki Swift which she bought for $200 in a “dodgy deal” at the Sunshine Plaza carpark.
Police spotted the stolen vehicle on November 22 2021 in Pacific Paradise after a witness saw Tracey Esma Kotiau and two other women in the vehicle with a stolen licence plate.
Maroochydore Magistrates Court was told the 44-year-old mother-of-five tried to flee the scene after seeing police but they caught up with her about the stolen Suzuki.
Police prosecutor Brendan Newman said the stolen car’s key was found on her along with scales, her phone and four valium tablets.
Kotiau told police she had bought the car for $200 from a friend in the Sunshine Plaza carpark despite thinking it was “a bit dodgy”.
Sergeant Newman said Kotiau told police she claimed she didn’t know it was stolen.
Texts from her phone revealed she had texted a friend saying “I’m in a red hot car … I don’t want to drive into Maroochydore with this car it’s got two different plates”.
More messages on her phone revealed she tried to offload her valium tablets to a friend saying, “I’m in Pacifico (sic) if you wanna (sic) grab these vals (sic) off me”.
Sergeant Newman said it was clear the Birtinya mother wasn’t honest with officers and had even tried to decamp the scene when they found the stolen car.
Duty lawyer David Crews said Kotiau had been reeling from a personal tragedy over the past year.
The Birtinya mother pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a car, failing to appear, possessing s4 medicines, two counts of possessing property suspecting of being used in a drug offence and possessing tainted property.
She was given a head sentence of nine months’ jail with immediate parole.
Convictions were recorded.
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Originally published as Tracey Esma Kotiau bought stolen Suzuki Swift at Sunshine Plaza carpark
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