Was it love or was it drugs?
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Either way, Rebecca Watts was under the influence of something when she agreed to help her inmate boyfriend Beau Wiles escape from Goulburn jail last month, her lawyer told a court on Friday.
Solicitor Matthew Barnes said Watts had been a woman with virtually no criminal record up until 12 months ago, when she turned to crime to help fund a burgeoning methylamphetamine habit.
Wiles featured heavily in each crime Watts committed: when she was caught shoplifting a six-pack of Jack Daniels in May it had been he who'd slipped the cans in her handbag; she used stolen credit cards to pay for alcohol, cigarettes and a motel room for them in June; and she was on her way to visit him in jail when she was caught driving without a licence in July.
Mr Barnes said Watts’ offending had increased the more she’d become involved with Wiles, culminating in the September 30 jail break.
“[It’s apparent] she was under some sort of lovestruck spell or manipulation [by Wiles],” he said, adding Wiles had been the one to concoct the plan and convince her to go along with it.
“There may have been some pressure brought to bear on her clouding her judgement…clearly in this case her judgement was affected – if it’s not lovestruck then it was drug induced.”
Watts admitted to being blinded by her “love” for Wiles during an interview with police after her arrest, describing the pair as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde.
But unlike the famous American outlaws, who died in a fiery shootout with police in 1934 after two years on the run, Watts and Wiles were apprehended peacefully during a traffic stop at Unanderra on the afternoon of October 1, some 30 hours after Wiles had scaled the perimetre fence at Goulburn jail and climbed into a waiting Holden Commodore containing his girlfriend.
Magistrate Michael Stoddart jailed Watts for two years on Friday, citing the need to send a strong message to the community.
“You being there with the car was an integral part of the plan,” Magistrate Stoddart told the 32-year-old.
“There needs to be significant general deterrence so the community can be assured that people who have committed serious crimes and are put in custody will stay there until they’ve done their time.”
He set a non-parole period of 18 months, meaning with time already served, Watts will released on parole in March 2017.
