KARYN A MEDICAL MIRACLE
Toowoomba family invited to medical conference:
ADDICTION and grief were put forward as the triggers that sent a young mum into a spiral of petty theft that only ended when she was jailed.
On Friday, the Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard Emma Jane Facey was a few weeks into a court-ordered probation for stealing when she hit several city stores.
Police prosecutor Chris Willson said Facey stole clothing and groceries from Myer, City Beach, Glenvale Coles, Kmart, Strandbags and Sportscene Super Warehouse from November 1, 2020 to March 13 this year.
“(It) demonstrates a pattern of criminal behaviour and not all out of what can be considered necessity,” he said.
“(Facey) stole popular brand clothes, shoes, perfume, handbags and other property.”
The court heard Facey obtained a quantity of jewellery that had been stolen from a performer at the Moscow Circus while it was set up in Queens Park in January.
Facey then pawned the items at Pennywise and The Cash Shop on January 18, for a total of $1170.
On November 22 Facey took a cab to her home and then got into an argument with the driver that ended when she stole a coin dispenser.
In total Facey was charged with 18 offences, most of which were stealing or fraud.
She pleaded guilty to all charges while appearing by video link from Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre, where she was held in pre-sentence custody for 87 days.
Facey’s lawyer, Amber Acreman told the court the 26year-old mother of four had been rocked by the death of three family members in the lead up to her offending.
They included two brothers-in-law and her father.
Ms Acreman told the court Facey turned to methylamphetamine to self-medicate her stress and grief.
“Everything went wrong,” she said.
“My client resorted to substance misuse, which is not a new thing to her, but certainly, it is something that has accelerated from 2018.
“The stealing is linked to that rapid addiction.”
In structuring a sentence, Magistrate Graham Lee noted that Facey had already wasted her first chance at probation and hesitated when offering a second bout.
He ordered a head sentence of 87 days in jail noting that it was time already served.
He added a 18-month period of probation that came with a condition that Facey submit to drug testing.