June 30, 2014
Two women who went on a spending spree in Murgon and Kingaroy racking up hundreds of dollars of goods on credit – including cigarettes, alcohol, petrol and baby clothes – with a stolen Visa card appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court this afternoon.
Jessica Nicole Coughlin and Rachel Heather Sander both pleaded guilty and were dealt with in separate hearings before magistrate Mark Bucknall.
Coughlin pleaded guilty to multiple fraud charges, receiving tainted property, using a restricted computer without consent and theft.
Purchases were made in December last year at multiple businesses including Best & Less, Supa Cheap Auto, IGA, the McDonald’s Drive-Thru and the Carrollee Hotel.
Police prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said Coughlin had also been involved in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade the NAB Bank to transfer $1 and then $5000 from the card into a separate bank account.
Coughlin had no previous criminal history.
“These are particularly serious offences and there really does need to be a message sent and a strong deterrent. If you had any significant history you would be facing a spell in jail today,” Magistrate Bucknall said.
He ordered she serve 18 months probation and pay $618.16 restitution to the NAB. No conviction was recorded to allow her a chance at rehabilitation and to find employment in her chosen career as a nurse.
Sander, who appeared in court via videolink from Brisbane Women’s Prison, pleaded guilty to a similar set of fraud charges, as well as burglary.
Sgt Bushell said Sander – the mother of two small children – admitted breaking into a house belonging to the parents of her former de facto and stealing the Visa card.
The court was told that after Sander had been arrested and bailed on the first set of charges, she then broke into the family’s house again, on May 17 this year, and stole jewellery, ornaments and other items to the value of $6970.61.
Magistrate Bucknall placed Sander on 18 months probation on the first set of charges and ordered her to pay $732.90 restitution to the NAB.
He said the second set of charges, committed while she was on bail, were a “calculated act of dishonesty” notwithstanding the “tumultuous relationship” she had with the son of the victims.
He sentenced her to six months’ jail. He ordered that the 28 days she had been held in custody be counted as time served and she be released immediately on parole. He also ordered she pay $6470.61 restitution to AAMI Insurance and $500 to the family involved.
