A MALDON woman was given “one last chance” to break her drug habit in Ballarat Magistrates Court yesterday.
Zanda Green, 26, received a 12-month jail sentence, with a three month non-parole period, for an aggravated burglary in February and stealing from Safeway in December to which she pleaded guilty to yesterday.
Magistrate Frank Jones commended Green on how well she looked, describing her remand hearing last month as “not pretty”.
Green, who has spent 23 days on remand, admitted she had no memory of her last court appearance due to her drug dependency.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Steve Kent said Green entered the Safeway supermarket in Albert Street, Sebastopol, on December 30 last year, putting items in her handbag before running out.
She was apprehended by a passing Ballarat Highway Patrol unit at a nearby block of flats. A search of her car revealed more stolen supermarket items, totalling $1000.
The court had previously heard Green was caught by a homeowner after she broke into his home on February 21. Senior Constable Kent said a search of Green showed she had a pocket knife on her at the time.
Defence counsel Mike Wardell said Green’s background was tragic, having her first child at 14 and her second at 16, both of whom now live with grandparents.
She also had a third child at 20, who is now six, of whom Green is seeking custody.
“She’s now realised all else in her life is lost apart from this child,” Mr Wardell said.
“Her whole focus is to have a healthy relationship with her six-year-old.”
He said her offending was usually related to the man she was in a relationship with at the time.
“The love she sought with everyone else for years, she now wants to have with her daughter. She wants to stand firm for her daughter and do all the right things.”
Mr Jones said it was serious shoplifting and burglary.
“You have one last chance to try and break this drug circuit of yours,” Mr Jones said.
“You are master of your own destiny because you are not pretty
when you are at your worst.”