One woman desperate for her chocolate fix saw a small shoplifting incident escalate into 10 offences.
On Monday, July 9, a 22-year-old Oxley Park woman was at a supermarket on Station Street, St Marys when she selected a number of items including a dinner meal, toothpaste and chocolate bars.
The woman then went to leave the store when she was stopped by a staff member and asked to remove the items from her bag. Security attended, and the woman became upset when they attempted to recover the items from her.
The 22-year-old then kicked the staff member. When the security intervened, she also kicked them.
A second staff member held on to the woman to prevent further assault, but she once again began kicking and then bit that staff member.
She managed to escape, and made her way to the car park.
The woman, who had now armed herself with a tyre iron, realised she had lost her phone during the incident and so returned to the store where police allege she “threatened to smash the place up” if her phone wasn’t returned to her.
She began verbally abusing the staff and began gesticulating with the tyre iron in hand.
During another scuffle at the location, staff members managed to disarm her.
Instead of leaving, the 22-year-old went to the service desk and demanded they give her a phone. At this time, police arrived where they spoke to the woman.
Following a short scuffle, her car was searched and she was arrested and taken back to Penrith Police Station.
Her charges include ‘Armed with intent to commit indictable offence’, ‘Shoplifting’, ‘Assault occasioning actual bodily harm’, two counts of ‘Common assault’, ‘Assault police’, two counts of ‘Resist police’, ‘Unlawfully posses number plates’ and ‘Destroy/damage property’.
She will face Penrith Local Court on Tuesday, August 14.
Emily Newton
Emily Newton is the Weekender's police and political reporter. Emily is also the Weekender's Senior Journalist.