A Mangerton woman accused of stealing two party dresses from a Wollongong clothing store while on a drug binge has told a court she planned to wear the dresses on New Year’s Eve.
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Police allege Ines Veinovic, 34, entered Forever New in Wollongong mall on the afternoon of December 18 despite being banned from the mall area at the start of the year for incessant shoplifting.
Inside the store, she allegedly picked out two dresses from two separate racks, put them under her arm then ran from the shop without paying for the items.
Veinovic’s actions were witnessed by mall security guards, while officers monitoring the CCTV camera system were able to follow her movements to Atchison Street.
Responding police discovered Veinovic hiding inside a toilet block with the dresses still in her possession.
Police allege Veinovic was aggressive towards them during her arrest, punctuating her yelling with multiple swear words and attempting to call members of the public to her aid.
Police said the immediate area was full of Christmas shoppers who heard and witnessed Veinovic’s behaviour.
In court on Friday, Veinovic appeared to admit responsibility for the theft, saying she needed a dress for New Year’s Eve.
She also promised “never to do it again” if released on bail, however Magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim refused to release Veinovic on account of her poor criminal record, which he said was littered with similar offences.
Prosecutors argued Veinovic posed a risk to public safety, citing a report from the court’s mental health nurse saying it was likely Veinovic was “ice-intoxicated” at the time.
The matter will return to court on January 9.
