Prada Handbags

PRICILLA Warry stole handbags from a sporting club and a childcare centre and also rummaged through unattended vehicles in the Magpies Sports Club car park.

Several of the thefts were caught on CCTV footage.

Warry, a 33-year-old mother of two, was a heavy user of amphetamines during her mini crime spree, which led to her pleading guilty to 13 charges in the Mackay Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

She stole a staff member's handbag from the ABC Learning Centre and inside the bag were a blue card to work with children, a driver's licence, credit cards, a Medicare card and some cash, police prosecutor Mr Bimal Raut said.

The staff member was able to find out that the thief was Warry because Warry's children were at the centre.

On January 4 this year, Tactical Crime Squad officers were investigating property offences in the Glenella area when they viewed CCTV footage of several incidents in the Magpies car park.

Warry was seen to drive in, get out of her car, rummage through several parked cars, and then she entered the clubhouse signing in with her correct name.

Then on January 24 a staff member at Magpies had her handbag stolen at 1am. Checks showed that the last non-member to sign in that night was Warry and she was seen on CCTV.

Warry also entered a parked vehicle at the Seabreeze Tavern at Slade Point on February 5 and stole some CDs. On another occasion she stole a credit card from a handbag at Magpies and used it at Mt Pleasant to make two cash withdraws of $200 each.

Tactical Crime Squad officers searched her house and located several stolen items which linked her to the thefts, including a stolen credit card. They also found some drugs and utensils.

Warry also was an unlicensed driver who was caught on CCTV driving on three separate occasions.

When sentencing Warry on Friday, Magistrate Ross Risson said Warry had a criminal history dating back to 1998. However, she had committed no offences between 2002 and last year.

Mr Risson said a previous relationship with a violent partner was a factor in her behaviour. He sentenced her to eight months imprisonment, wholly suspended. Warry was fined a total $850. She was also ordered to pay $304 compensation to the ABC Learning Centre and another $400 compensation for fraudulent use of a key card.