The woman who stalked Seekers star Judith Durham was jailed for 3 years yesterday for stealing credit cards from Tasmanian schools.
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Margaret Carolyn Dahlstrom, 47, of Whelan St, Apollo Bay in Victoria, was found guilty of 62 counts of burglary, stealing, uttering, forgery and obtaining goods by false pretences in Hobart and Launceston between August 1996 and May 1997.
Ms Dahlstrom stole purses and wallets from staffrooms at Launceston's Scotch Oakburn College and St Patrick's College, and St Michael's Collegiate, Fahan School, St Mary's College and the Calvin Christian School in Hobart. She forged signatures to withdraw more than $57,000 from the cards.
Ms Dahlstrom, who represented herself during the week-long trial, also pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one count of stealing at St Michael's Collegiate and the University of Tasmania in Hobart.
Justice Christopher Wright, in handing down his sentence, said that Ms Dahlstrom was a ``professional'' whose mode of operation bore a remarkable similarity to extensive offences committed in other states.
``Your crimes have the hallmarks of careful planning and brazen execution,'' he said.
``You received a surprising number of suspended sentences in other states. I think the time has come, to put it bluntly, that you need to be taught a salutary lesson.''
Ms Dahlstrom was sentenced to 3.5 years' jail, and ordered to pay $3000 to the Tasmanian Police and Nurses Credit Union, $4650 to the Commonwealth Bank and $49,700 to the Trust Bank. She was also ordered to pay a victims' compensation levy of $2500, at the rate of $100 a month after her release from prison.
Ms Dahlstrom was sentenced to a two-month suspended jail term in 1998 after being found guilty of stalking former Seekers lead singer Judith Durham. Ms Dahlstrom sent more than 40 doormats to the singer's home in August last year, and had bombarded her with letters, faxes and phone calls over 10 weeks.
Crown prosecutor Tony Jacobs yesterday revealed that Ms Dahlstrom had more than 100 previous convictions for crimes of dishonesty.
They included burglary and stealing from charities, medical centres, schools and corporations.
Ms Dahlstrom, who has a 16-year-old daughter living in Melbourne, admitted that she had a bad record, but said that she would appeal against her conviction.