Mother of four jailed for Christmas on return to Toowoomba

The 37-year-old mother of four had returned to Toowoomba from New South Wales for a funeral but ended up in jail for at least the next month.

She returned to Toowoomba for a funeral but ended up being jailed for the next month.

A MOTHER of four’s return to Toowoomba was less than triumphant when she was jailed for the next month.

Angela Ann Weatherall will spend Christmas and New Year in jail after being picked up by police called to the report of a theft at Big W in Grand Central on Wednesday afternoon.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard the 37-year-old had loaded up a shopping trolley with children’s bicycles and helmets and walked out without paying.

Police found her loading the goods into a car in the carpark, police prosecutor Narelle Lowe told the court.

Police checks found Weatherall had failed to appear in the same court in October 2017 on two similar stealing offences.

She had loaded a trolley with goods from Kmart Grand Central on September 9, 2017, and left without paying and returned to the store two days later to do the same thing, Senior Constable Lowe said.

She told police she couldn’t remember the incidents but recognised herself on the CCTV footage of the incidents, she said.

Having spent the night in the watch house, Weatherall appeared by video link to plead guilty to all offences.

Her solicitor Michael McElhinney said his client was originally from Dirranbandi and had four children who lived with their father in Moree.

She had moved to Moree to be closer to her children, he said.

His client had returned to Toowoomba for the funeral of a nephew, Mr McElhinney said.

Magistrate Howard Osborne noted Weatherall had a lengthy history of such offending and said a term of imprisonment was the only sentencing option.

He sentenced her to three months in jail, to be released on parole after having served one month, and fined her $500 on the failing to appear in court charge.