Needle of ‘revenge’
Strawberry tampering allegedly out of ‘spite’
POLICE used DNA from one of four needles found in strawberry punnets at a Geelong Woolworths store to track down My Ut Trinh, who allegedly contaminated the fruit.
Strawberry picking supervisor My Ut Trinh, 50, yesterday faced Brisbane Magistrates Court charged over the contamination of fruit at her employer’s southeast Queensland farm in early September, which sparked a nationwide agriculture crisis.
Police fear Trinh, who allegedly contaminated strawberries with sewing needles to get “revenge” on her boss will be targeted for physical retribution if she’s not kept behind bars “for her own safety”.
Defence lawyer Michael Cridland launched a bail application on Trinh’s behalf but withdrew it after magistrate Christine Roney questioned Trinh’s mental health, saying the alleged offending, which police say was out of “spite”, was “highly unusual” and “difficult to understand”.
“It’s a most peculiar way to go about agitating or promoting a workplace grievance,” Ms Roney said.
Mr Cridland said Trinh was a Vietnamese refugee who came to Australia more than two decades ago by boat, had strong family ties to the community and had fully co-operated with the investigation and agreed to give a DNA sample to authorities two weeks ago.
“She has been aware that she’s been a person of interest … for over two months,” Mr Cridland said.
“She’s done everything that one might interpret as being a person who has nothing to fear from the allegations.”
Trinh, who has no criminal history, speaks “very little English” and her niece was required in court to help her communicate with her lawyer.
Police prosecutor Cheryl Tesch said the allegations against Trinh are “very serious offences” which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
“The defendant should remain in custody for her own protection, there may be retribution, persons seeking to locate her and physically harm her as a form of retribution,” Ms Tesch said.
“Prosecution strongly oppose bail, there is an unacceptable risk of witnesses being interfered with, obstruction of justice, many of these witnesses are members of the Vietnamese community and it will be alleged the defendant was the direct supervisor on the berry farm.
“The prosecution case is
ACROSS
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class helmet parts 9 A small number also heard 10 Scope of raised ground . . . 12 . . . made concentric inside
a single time 13 Rode out with runner in tidy
arrangement 15 Type of palm for a couple
of companies 17 Service with floating equipment starts from each river round York 19 Employ the final parts you
pass me 21 Car in retail trouble between
those in different races 22 Merges roughly without
direction for bad cells 23 Attempt in composition 1 4
DOWN
1 Diverting attention from a NG district upset 2 A plant somehow like a writer 3 Rally starter could be one quite strong there is DNA evidence located on the needle in one of these strawberries which is a direct match to the defendant.”
The case was adjourned until November 22 and Trinh will remain in custody.
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outside when faint 6 Unexplained game with un
known result on stage (7,4) 8 Took an oath in pain with
leader inside 11 Goes off with nothing for
domesticated bird 14 Wipe out some belief
facetiously held 16 Truce arrangement
becoming more attractive 18 Birds in bars 20 God of love angry on return