Prolific shoplifter Katrina Turnbull steals more than $10k from Queensland businesses

A mother of six found herself locked up on remand with a baby on the way after swiping more than $10,000 worth of goods from businesses across Brisbane, Toowoomba and the South West.

Katrina Elizabeth Turnbull, 39, pleaded guilty to 36 offences including a string of stealing and fraud charges before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, June 30. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A pregnant west Queensland woman with ties to Toowoomba has escaped an extended stay in prison despite stealing more than $10,000 from Queensland businesses.

St George mother Katrina Elizabeth Turnbull, 39, appeared before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, June 30 where she pleaded guilty to 36 offences including a string of stealing and fraud charges.

The court was told the mother of six stole in excess of $10,585 goods from businesses across the Brisbane, St George and Toowoomba regions between mid-2024 and early 2025.

Among the items stolen were a $799 projector, $669 in clothing and accessories, $1799 generator, more than $2000 worth of power tools and a roast chicken concealed on her person.

Prosecution said, when confronted by police, Turnbull told officers she had taken a large number of the items to pay for food and fuel in order to return home to her children in the St George region.

Turnbull, who has a long history of similar offending, was on parole while committing 11 of the offences.

Defence solicitor Christiane Mullins said Turnbull endured a traumatic upbringing and, at times throughout her life, experienced abuse.

“It impacted her personal relationships, her education and her ability to achieve those developmental milestones,” Ms Mullins said.

She stated Turnbull’s traumatic past had caused her to misuse illicit substances, contributing to her offending.

“She uses drugs as a way to cope,” Ms Mullins said.

“She says, at times, she does not remember the offences, although she makes admissions and on each occasion she co-operated with police.

“She says she disassociates at times.

“(However), she is proud to tell me now that she is clean, she was clean of meth and substances from just before she was picked up and remanded,” she added.

Ms Mullins advised the court Turnbull was currently pregnant, despite being held in detention awaiting her sentence, and would suffer greatly if given more jail time.

“She is a woman who suffers through her pregnancies very significantly, they are regularly termed high-risk pregnancy,” she said.

“She has been in significant pain all of last week but has not sought medical treatment for fear she would miss today.

“A term of imprisonment will be particularly onerous on her and affect her more than the average person.”

Acting magistrate Simone Bain sentenced Turnbull to 12 months’ imprisonment under an intensive correction order, which would see her serve out her time in the community.

Ms Bain further stipulated she would need to complete a mental health plan or face returning to prison.

“(You need to) turn up to get better, not just turn up to tick the box,” Ms Bain said.