‘Hanging by a thread of going to jail’: Repeat offender given lifeline in court

Hollie Jane Blunt, 32, of Matthews Avenue, was addicted to methamphetamine when her crimes were committed, but had completed a detox program and had a rehabilitation plan in place when she appeared in court before magistrate David Day.

“Had there not been a pre-sentence report and had there not been a full report from Barnardos, you would be going to jail,” Mr Day said.

“It’s just a shame there’s not an [at-risk] high school student in the back of the court to hear how Hollie Blunt as a young woman can get so low and how she’s hanging by a thread of going to jail just because of the drugs.”

Mr Day gave her a 12-month supervised community corrections order for stealing $65 worth of clothing from Kmart on September 26, 2017, despite having more than $1100 in her bag. 

Blunt was also convicted and disqualified from driving for three months for driving while her licence was suspended on September 6, 2017, and she received an identical sentence for driving while her licence was suspended again on December 7, 2017.

She also received the same sentence for driving with methamphetamine and cannabis in her system on March 18, 2018 and again for the same offence on April 14, 2018.

The offences put her in breach of six suspended jail sentences and instead of being sent to jail, Blunt was given concurrent intensive corrections orders ranging from six months to 18 months.

The orders will mean she will be supervised and must undergo rehabilitation and treatment, and abstain from drug use until March 25, 2020.

MAP: Where the most serious offence occurred …

The most serious offence was a breach of an 18-month suspended jail sentence for not leaving an Autumn Street house when a confrontation broke out on December 7, 2015.

Blunt also breached suspended jail sentences for shoplifting when she stole $124.75 worth of clothing and chocolate on November 14, 2015, and two counts of resisting police when she was caught with the items and arrested.

Two other breaches were for stealing $126 worth of underwear and socks, and for stealing $250 worth of shower mats, a mink blanket, puffer vests, garbage bags, toiletries and chocolates, both on May 17, 2016.