A Tolland woman is waiting to learn her fate after she shoplifted a bottle of scotch whisky and repeatedly shouted obscenities at police officers.
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Linda Walsh, 33, was caught stealing a one-litre bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label from Liquorland in the Sturt Mall in September.
Documents tendered to the court revealed that, when police went to apprehend her in the following days, Ms Walsh refused to open the door and verbally abused them.
“The accused is a recidivist property theft offender, in particular shoplifting, and shows absolutely no respect to police or remorse for what she has done,” the documents read.
“Police strongly believe that she will continue to steal and harass local businesses in Wagga.”
Walsh also had to answer to offensive language charges on Wednesday after she verbally abused police again outside the Tolland shops.
Police were called to the shopping centre in May after the manager of Bernardi’s reported someone was causing a nuisance outside.
When they arrived, they immediately recognised Walsh, who shouted the C-word at them no less than four times.
They warned her to stop swearing or they would have to issue her with an infringement notice, to which she replied “I don’t care, send me one … I already owe $40,000.”
In Wagga Local Court on Wednesday, magistrate Christopher Halburd ordered a sentencing assessment report to be made about Walsh in light of her lengthy criminal record.
“She’s got 11 prior matters before the court for offensive language and five criminal infringement notices,” Mr Halburd said.
“The police warned you what would happen and you said ‘I don’t care’ because you had all these fines which, inferentially, you weren’t going to pay anyway.”
Walsh told the magistrate “I do have a short fuse … I think I need some anger management”.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Rowan Harris also noted Walsh was on a good behaviour bond at the time of the shoplifting offence and had previously served jail time for the same crime.
Walsh will return to court on December 12 for sentencing.
She remains charged with a third offence, having a knife in a public place, but has pleaded not guilty.
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