A Coniston woman has denied befriending a man and stealing his car, allegedly suggesting someone else is responsible because "they all want to be me".
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Rachel Rarity, 34, applied for bail at Wollongong Local Court after being charged with stealing property in a dwelling, stealing a motor vehicle, and being carried in a conveyance taken without consent.
Documents tendered to the court said Rarity and her co-accused were casual acquaintances of the victim, who they met through mutual friends.
On the evening of April 1, the victim allegedly allowed Rarity to stay at his home, unaware that she and her co-accused - with whom she was in an intimate relationship - were allegedly plotting to steal his car after he went to sleep.
The documents said the victim and Rarity arrived at the victim's home about 10.30pm and he locked his 2008 silver Subaru Forester before the pair went inside.
The victim put his car keys on a nightstand beside his bed before he went to sleep about midnight, while Rarity stayed in the lounge room.
Rarity is accused of stealing the keys sometime in the night before meeting her co-accused outside.
She allegedly handed them over to him before the pair drove away in the Subaru.
The victim realised his vehicle was gone when he woke up the following morning, then checked his CCTV cameras.
The footage allegedly showed Rarity walk out of the home and through the gate, moments before the vehicle drove away.
The victim reported the matter to the Police Assistance Line, then attempted to contact Rarity and her co-accused via message.
Police stopped the co-accused in Albion Park Rail on April 3, after the number plates on the Subaru were pinged by the automated number plate recognition system.
He was arrested and police seized his mobile phone, on which police allegedly found messages with Rarity about the stolen vehicle.
The documents tendered to the court said the co-accused allegedly admitted in his police interview that he had asked Rarity to bring him the victim's keys and she did.
Rarity was arrested in Coniston last week and denied knowing both the victim and her co-accused.
She said the CCTV footage did not depict her, and denied ownership of the phone number used to contact her co-accused, although it was allegedly registered to her.
"It might have been someone else, they all want to be me," Rarity allegedly told police.
In court, the prosecution opposed Rarity's release on bail, citing concerns about protection of the witness and interference with evidence, and failure to appear at court.
Defence lawyer Max Staples said Rarity had a seven-week-old child, which would keep her tied to her home.
Mr Staples suggested stringent conditions such as a curfew and no contact or association with the victim or co-accused could alleviate concerns.
But Magistrate Claire Girotto said she could not grant bail because the concerns were not able to be mitigated.
Magistrate Girotto said a custodial sentence was likely if Rarity was found guilty of the crimes, and the prosecution had "quite a strong case".
Rarity will return to court next month.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
