Stephanie Panitzki: Woman charged with smashing 26 Charles St Launceston shop windows to plead insanity
A Tasmanian woman has pleaded not guilty to causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to dozens of CBD shops by allegedly smashing their windows with a hammer.
Police & Courts
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A Tasmanian woman has pleaded not guilty to causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to 26 CBD shops by allegedly smashing their windows with a hammer.
Stephanie Panitzki, 32, appeared in Launceston Magistrates Court on Friday charged with 42 offences, predominantly destroying and injuring property, as well as two counts of common assault.
She pleaded not guilty to all charges via her lawyer Grant Tucker, who told the court he was in the process of “seeking medical material to establish a section 16 defence” – otherwise known as the defence of insanity under the Criminal Code.
The charges relate predominantly to two alleged incidents, the more serious of which involved Ms Panitzki allegedly smashing the windows of 26 shopfronts in Launceston’s Brisbane St Mall and Charles St on May 11 this year.
According to documents filed with the Magistrates Court, she is charged with 28 offences relating to this alleged episode: 26 charges of destroying property and one each of possessing a dangerous article in a public place (a claw hammer) and common assault.
Tasmania Police allege Ms Panitzki “ran” at the owner of Brisbane St Mall cafe Coffee Republic “while brandishing a claw hammer and making threats to him”.
The 26 destroy property charges relate to shop windows she allegedly destroyed with the hammer.
Tasmania Police allege that these businesses had windows smashed: Ghanda Clothing, AdultShop, Chemist Warehouse, Gazman, Bupa, Blue Illusion, Bonds Outlet, Mojjatchi, Hatton & Law Soul Pattinson, Bed Bath ‘N’ Table, Charles St Central Newsagency, Spendless Shoes, Country Road, Jeanswest, Bras N Things, Just Jeans, Priceline, Harris Scarfe, Cotton On, Routley’s Menswear, Adairs, Platypus Shoes, Price Cutters, Telstra, Myer, and Sussan.
It was previously reported that as much as $250,000 worth of damage had been caused by the spree.
In addition to the alleged May 11 incident, Ms Panitzki is charged with similar conduct at Launceston on January 13–14.
On that occasion, Tasmania Police allege Ms Panitzki assaulted a woman by “attempting to place a plastic bag over her head, punching her to the face and pulling her hair,” possessed a dangerous article in public – hedge trimmers – and destroyed a variety of property.
Police allege that Ms Panitzki caused damage to eight vehicles, a roller door and glass window, and a Coles Supermarket window.
Her charges will next be mentioned on October 11.
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