Mum caught after decade evading law
A MOTHER of two, on the run from police for a decade, was finally caught in Townsville after being hit by a car.
Natasha Lee Quirk attempted to rob a Brisbane Coles Express service station on December 23, 2010.
The Townsville District Quirk was 19 at the time when she entered the service station and demanded money from the attendant and threatened her with a knife.
Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard told the court the shop attendant refused to give Quirk any money and said, “she worked hard for her money and you should do the same”.
Quirk was identified on CCTV footage and police arrested her six days later hiding under a blanket in a caravan and was charged with the attempted robbery.
The 28-year-old fled to Victoria a couple of weeks later, breaching her bail conditions, and had been on the run ever since.
The court heard Quirk moved to Townsville to live with her father in 2018 and on August 18, 2019 Quirk went to the Towns
Court heard ville Hospital after being hit by a car. Quirk kicked a nurse in the chest when she attempted to put in a port of care to check her blood sugar level. Security was called and Quirk was removed from the hospital while abusing and threatening hospital staff.
Police arrested Quirk outside the hospital, asleep on a bench.
Quirk pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery with actual violence while armed, one count of conduct causing a public nuisance and two counts of breach of bail conditions.
Defence barrister Rowan Pack said Quirk had a violent upbringing and did not remember lashing out at the hospital staff but knew “she did the wrong thing”.
Mr Pack said his client had been under the influence of drugs at the time of the robbery in 2010 and was living on the street but was now a mother of two children.
Judge John Coker condemned Quirk’s “serious” and “unsophisticated” offending targeting her victims.
Judge Coker took into account the nondeclarable 262 days served in pre-sentence custody and sentenced Quirk to 18 months’ jail with immediate parole.