Tuesday
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THE Bendigo Magistrates' Court has ordered a woman charged with child stealing be photographed and provide a sample of her DNA.
Police applied for Samantha Azzopardi to be photographed and to provide DNA evidence, telling the court 'a lot of outstanding matters could be resolved' if she were forced to provide that information.
Magistrate Ross Betts granted the application, having considered it in the 'interest of justice'.
Lawyer Alex McLennan made no argument against the request.
Ms Azzopardi was further remanded in custody until November 20 after the court heard she remained in hospital.
The 31-year-old was arrested last week after an incident in Bendigo, during which she was found with a 10-month-old baby and a four-year-old girl in Pall Mall
Ms Azzopardi was unable to appear before the court yesterday because she was under police guard in hospital undergoing tests.
Mr McLennan today told the court Ms Azzopardi remained in hospital.
He said he had instructions not to apply for bail on her behalf.
Monday
A woman charged with child stealing could not appear before the Bendigo Magistrates' Court today because she was under police guard in hospital undergoing tests.
The court heard Samantha Lyndell Azzopardi, 31, was awaiting an MRI.
She is facing four charges, two of which were that Ms Azzopardi 'did by fraud [take] a child under the age of 16 years with intent to deprive' the child's parents.
Bendigo Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives charged Ms Azzopardi with 'being a person who a police officer reasonably believed to have committed an offence, namely handle stolen goods, which had been committed and after having the grounds for such belief explained in sufficient detail to allow the nature of the offence to be understood and after being requested by such police officer to state her name did state a false name'.
Ms Azzopardi was also charged with dishonestly undertaking in the retention of goods knowing the goods - namely, an Australian passport, were stolen.
The woman, of no fixed address, was arrested after an incident in Bendigo last week.
Police said Ms Azzopardi was found with a 10-month-old baby and a four-year-old girl in Pall Mall.
The girls were returned to their parents uninjured.
In court today, Magistrate Ross Betts queried whether Ms Azzopardi would be in a position to appear on Tuesday.
"I have not been able to speak with her," her lawyer said.
She expected Ms Azzopardi would be able to attend court by Wednesday.
Ms Azzopardi was remanded to appear in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Earlier
A woman has been charged with two counts of child stealing after allegedly posing as an au pair in Bendigo.
Samantha Azzopardi was arrested by investigators after she was found with a 10-month-old baby and a four-year-old girl in Pall Mall last week.
The girls were returned to their parents unharmed.
Bendigo Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives have charged Ms Azzopardi with two counts of child stealing and stating a false name.
Detectives also charged the 31-year-old with handling stolen goods, after she was allegedly found with a passport.
Ms Azzopardi has been remanded in custody and will appear in the Bendigo Magistrates Court on Monday.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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