A 32-year-old woman was out of jail for only eight days when she went on a spree of stealing charity tins from counters around Launceston.
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The court heard that Bianca Elizabeth Pyke had an abysmal record for dishonesty and was a prolific shoplifter.
In March last year, Pyke was sentenced for stealing a cash tin from a massage parlour.
Five months later, she was sentenced for trying to sneak a syringe filled with methamphetamine into a Tasmanian prison.
Pyke's record includes a two-year jail term for dangerous driving in 2019.
Police prosecutor Andrew Gillard said that Pyke entered the Olde Tudor Hotel's gaming area on December 13. When an employee left the area, she opened the cash register and removed $850.
On December 17, 2023, she removed a donation jar from the Olde Tudor pharmacy containing $180 in notes and coins.
On January 1 2024, she went to the Prospect post office and stole a thirty-two-inch television worth $249.
She stole $200 worth of meat from Tasfresh Prospect on December 1.
From Dan Murphys she stole upmarket whisky worth $470 and three one litre bottles worth $101 each.
She told police that she sold the bottles to buy drugs.
On December 27, she stole $370 worth of alcohol and concealed it in her underwear.
A day later, she entered the Nextra newsagency at Kings Meadows and stole a $300 tin belonging to The Examiner Empty Stocking Appeal.
"Good quality CCTV captured Ms Pyke looking around before putting the tin into her bag," Mr Gillard said.
In January, she stole a $25 tin from Papas Kebabs and $190 from a person's bag at the Prospect IGA.
She stole a staff member's bag from the Trevallyn Grocery containing items, including $841 AirPods.
Mr Gillard said the AirPods were recovered when the complainant received an electronic message stating that they were located in Rocherlea.
On January 23, she stole three mobile phones from Mood Food in Wellington Street.
She also stole from the Newstead Hotel and Harvey Norman and stole a $200 guide dog box containing $200 from the Hotel Tasmania.
Pyke has been remanded in custody since.
Defence lawyer Lucy Flanagan said Pyke had candidly told police that she stole to buy drugs or stole items ordered by other people.
She said she was released on November 22. The spree started on December 1 2023.
Ms Flanagan conceded it was blatant offending.
Magistrate Simon Brown, there needed to be an element of personal deterrence in sentencing because stealing had gone on and on and on.
Mr Brown sentenced her to twenty weeks in jail, backdated to February 5 2024.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
