Karlah Jean Bligh convicted in Toowoomba Magistrates Court over raft of stealing, fraud offences

In a matter of six months, a homeless woman racked up eight stealing and fraud charges during a crime spree across Toowoomba, Ipswich and Brisbane.

A homeless Toowoomba woman who went on a six-month long crime spree across south east Queensland claimed that she got caught up in the nefarious activities of the friends she was couch surfing with.

Karlah Jean Bligh appeared in Toowoomba Magistrates Court where she pleaded guilty to a raft of charges, including assault occasioning bodily harm, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, fraud and seven counts of stealing.

The 20-year-old’s crime spree began on July 10 last year when she and another person ran out of BWS Glenvale about 12pm with three bottles of liquor, valued at a total of $160, without paying.

Toowoomba woman Karlah Jean Bligh has been convicted for a string of property offences committed across south east Queensland.

On September 20 Bligh and another person attempted to make off with about $200 of groceries from Coles store in North Toowoomba.

Police prosecutor Rohan Brewster-Webb said on September 29 a woman had her handbag stolen and found multiple unauthorised charges had been made on her debit card. Investigations found Bligh captured on CCTV buying a carton of Bundaberg Rum at the same time as one of the unauthorised transactions using the victim’s card.

The court was told on October 4 Bligh and three other people were in Indooroopilly with Bligh behind the wheel of a Mini Cooper reported stolen from Rockville a month prior. While at Indooroopilly shopping centre the group stole a large number of clothes from fashion retailer Super Glue.

On October 16 Bligh and another person stole four handbags, worth $636, from a Strandbags store in Springfield.

The following month on November 11 the court was told Bligh launched an unprovoked assault on her second cousin at an Ipswich train station, punching her in the head multiple times causing swelling and bruising.

Toowoomba woman Karlah Jean Bligh has been convicted for a string of property offences committed across south east Queensland.

Bligh’s crime spree came to an end late last year when after she stole a number of items from stores in Grand Central on December 21 she was captured on CCTV as a passenger in a stolen Mazda CX-30 at a service station at Charlton on December 28 before the vehicle was found ultimately abandoned in Oakey.

Mr Brewster-Webb said Bligh was arrested on January 10, and had spent the past 30 days bail refused and remanded in custody.

Bligh’s solicitor Kirstie Smith said her client had no fixed address for the past six years, and as a result was reliant on friends to provide a roof over her head which meant she felt she was “obliged” to them, and was often caught up in their offending behaviour.

“Ultimately all of this offending relates to her transience and lack of a permanent address,” she said.

Despite previous failures at complying with probation, magistrate Kay Philipson said she would be afforded one more chance.

“You really need to take some responsibility, you’re 20 now not 12,” Ms Philipson said.

Bligh was handed a 15 month probation order, with convictions recorded.