August 17, 2012
A woman charged under two names with a string of offences had “run off the rails” after her father was murdered, Kingaroy Magistrates Court was told yesterday.
Jessica Maree Smith, of Kingaroy, (who was also charged with a public nuisance offence as Jessica Maree Riley), pleaded guilty to common assault, stealing, public nuisance, receiving tainted property and unauthorised dealing with shop goods.
A charge of wilful damage was withdrawn by police.
Police alleged Smith was involved with other people in dishonesty offences that occurred at Subway (decamping with four unpaid sandwiches), Dick Smith Electronics (the theft of gaming accessories), and carrying cosmetics and chocolates apparently stolen from Shoppingworld stores.
The assault charge stemmed from the slamming of a screen door during an altercation with a former flatmate.
Police charged Smith with public nuisance after she visited the Kingaroy Police Station in a bid to visit a friend who was being held in the watchhouse.
When she was told this was not possible, Smith began hitting the glass doors and pressing the door bell continuously and refused to leave.
After swearing at police, she screamed: “Lock me up with him”.
Police obliged by arresting her.
Defence solicitor Libby Daniels, for Smith, said her client had been “hanging out with some undesirable people in Kingaroy who were well-known to police”.
This had happened after her father was murdered.
“She moved out of home and things ran off the rails,” Ms Daniels said.
Before this, Smith had been studying and doing work experience at radio station B105 in Brisbane. She had no criminal history.
Now she had moved back home, Ms Daniels said, and her mother was trying to get Smith “back to that happy child that she was for 17 years”.
Magistrate John Parker said at first he had been tempted to give Smith “a whole swag of community service” to do.
“But I’m not going to do that at this time,” he said.
“Each of these offences is not serious by itself but there’s a pattern developing.
“I’m told you’re an intelligent young woman. You can have a very good future but not if you rack up these kind of offences.
“Make sure this is the last time you are in any courtroom.
“Keep away from these boofheads. Don’t come back again.”
Mr Parker fined her $600 and ordered she pay $44.75 restitution to Subway.
No conviction was recorded.
