An unemployed mother-of-one who violently robbed an ex-school mate of her mobile phone and purse at Dapto took advantage of the victim’s generosity, a court has heard.
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Lacey Fullwood had downed two bottles of spirits and was hopelessly drunk on the night of November 18 when she and her then-boyfriend, Matthew Coe, came across the victim sitting in her vehicle on Moombara Street about 10.30pm.
Recognising each other from school, the two women had a 30 minute conversation before Fullwood asked the victim to drive her and Coe to their Marshall Street home.
The victim agreed, however mistakenly turned into a dead-end road.
She told the pair it was a short walk to the main road and asked Coe, who was sitting in the back seat with her handbag, to return her purse.
“I don’t have your purse,” he replied, before getting out of the car and walking off.
Fullwood then took the woman’s phone and charger and got out of the car.
The victim confronted her, prompting Fullwood to push her to the ground, hold her by the neck and punch her in the head three times.
The woman reported the matter to police, who arrested Coe and Fullwood a short time later. Fullwood pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery.
In Wollongong District Court on Thursday, Fullwood said she remembered little of what occurred that night but accepted the victim’s account of the incident.
“Do you agree you took advantage of the victim’s kindness?” prosecutor Jacqueline Azad asked Fullwood in the witness box.
“Yes,” she replied.
Judge Andrew Haesler said psychological reports before the court made it clear Fullwood had a history of drug abuse and deprivation and had been a victim of domestic violence.
He agreed to spare Fullwood a full-time jail sentence provided an intensive corrections order assessment came back favourable and outlined appropriate community-based programs and courses Fullwood could undertake as part of her sentence.
“It may be the victim of this crime may be justifiably concerned that Ms Fullwood will be out and about in the community, however I think the community will understand that it’s in everyone’s interest that leniency be extended in this situation,” he said.
The matter will return to court on November 15.
