A Bellambi woman discovered hiding $30,000 worth of stolen work tools in her garage at the request of another man "simply didn't know how to say no", her lawyer has said.
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Defence solicitor Tim Dains said Michelle Lawrence had a history of being "walked over" by others and had been subjected to break-ins at her home, had her property damaged and been assaulted when she had tried to stand up for herself.
"She has significant difficulties saying no to the wrong people," he said, claiming Lawrence had been put in exactly this position in the current crime.
Court documents said police went to Lawrence's Bellambi home on November 26 last year looking for two people wanted on outstanding warrants.
They spoke to Lawrence then walked into her garage, where they discovered a large silver trailer containing power tools and tradie equipment. The signage on the side of the trailer read Top Notch Builders.
When police spoke to the owner of the trailer, he confirmed it had been stolen from his house in Mangerton earlier that month and had had about $60,000 worth of tools inside at the time, however this was later revised down to about $30,000.
The trailer was also sporting damage, court documents said.
Lawrence was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, to which she pleaded guilty in court.
Mr Dain said acquaintances had come to Lawrence's house for a "drug binge" the day before the trailer was discovered and one had asked her to store it at her place.
She told police she didn't know how much the tools were worth but suspected they were stolen and didn't report it.
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie criticised Lawrence for "caving in" to pressure from people she shouldn't have been hanging around in the first place.
She noted the high value of the goods, but found the crime fell just short of a full-time jail sentence.
Instead, she placed Lawrence on a 21-month intensive corrections order.