A 44-year-old Cowra women has been fined $100 and ordered to pay $10 in compensation to a local petrol station after stealing 7.25 litres of E10 petrol.
Monica Rebecca Ingram of Bahloo Street failed to appear before the court charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception, with the matter being heard in her absence.
According to police facts, around 10am on March 16, Ingram attended the petrol station and parked at pump number five.
She had a passenger fill the vehicle with 7.25 litres of E10 petrol to the price of $10.
Ingram then gave her key card to another passenger in the vehicle and sent them to go pay for the fuel.
When the passenger attempted to make the payment however the card declined. The passenger returned and entered the vehicle informing Ingram the card had been declined.
Ingram then left the service station and the attendant took down the vehicle’s details.
Around 2.50pm on May 2 police attended Ingram’s house and questioned her about the incident.
Ingram told police, “I thought I had money in my key card. It was just an honest mistake, I will go pay for it now”.
When asked if she had made any attempt to pay for the fuel in the six weeks between her offending and her meeting she told police, “No, I’ve been getting money every week and that, but I completely forgot you know”.
In handing down his sentence, Magistrate Michael O’Brien told police prosecutor Carl Smith that while Ingram’s offending was at the lowest end of the range a fine was appropriate.
“The police gave her six weeks to pay for the fuel and no attempt was made. So a fine is appropriate,” he said.
extracted from Cowra Guardian