Urge to steal may lead to jail time

A DIAGNOSED kleptomaniac who continued to steal while on a corrections order has been warned she could go to jail if caught reoffending.

Grovedale’s Cheryl Millar pleaded guilty to theft charges and breach of corrections order during a brief hearing at Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The court heard the 33year-old had been diagnosed with kleptomania and felt a strong urge to steal.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Peter Beard said Millar and a co-accused went to Waurn Ponds Bunnings in October last year and perused the tool aisle.

The court was told the male co-accused pointed with his foot to a set of spanners that Millar picked up and quickly concealed.

The pair walked of the store with $173 worth of stolen items.

Sgt Beard said police attended a Waurn Ponds house and arrested the pair who said they had sold the items for $100 to buy “smokes”.

Months later, Millar went to a local Officeworks and picked out three sets of headphones worth $204.

She made no attempts to pay for the items.

On arrest she told police she was a kleptomaniac and couldn’t stop stealing.

Millar’s lawyer said her client expected little sympathy but had stolen the items to sell on so she could supplement her Centrelink pension.

The lawyer asked Magistrate Peter Mellas to give Millar “one last opportunity”.

Mr Mellas said Millar had stolen “high-value items” that could easily be traded for drugs or cash.

He extended Millar’s community corrections order and urged her to focus on completing her order.

Mr Mellas said the woman, who was previously served time, risked going back to jail if she reoffended.