Kerri-Ann Walker, 29, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to charges including unlicensed driving, assaulting an emergency service worker and thefts from multiple service stations.
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Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Lisa Schoemaker said on July 8, Walker stole a handbag and car from a Lydiard Street church.
Ms Schoemaker said on the same day, police observed Walker in the stolen car at the Bacchus Marsh McDonalds at 1.30pm.
The stolen car was later captured on CCTV at a nearby service station, where police say Walker stole a $5 cigarette lighter. Walker then drove the stolen car to Buninyong's BP service station and stole $30 worth of petrol.
The court was told police pursued the accused twice, but abandoned the pursuits for safety reasons.
Ms Schoemaker said police went to Walker’s home on 10 July and arrested the accused, who was drug affected, and seized the stolen vehicle. While in custody on 12 July, Walker was seen on CCTV spitting on a police officer’s leg.
Magistrate Ron Saines said that in the context of Walker’s prior criminal history, her offending was so serious there was “no sentence to adequately express denunciation of this sort of conduct”.
Defence lawyer Adrian Paull said while Walker had stolen from a person “that could be considered vulnerable or trusting, at a church service”, it was not sophisticated offending due to her drug use at the time.
The accused received a three month jail sentence, which she has completed from pre-sentence custody, a $600 fine for driving while drug affected and license disqualification for six months.