A HOMELESS woman from the Bendigo area has spent the past 32 days in prison for stealing small amounts of petrol, food, perfume and power tools.
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The Bendigo Magistrates Court was told the 45-year-old had been living in her car after "dropping off Centrelink's radar" and her payments stopped.
On Wednesday she faced court via an audio visual link from prison to answer 32 charges, which included multiple counts of driving off without paying for small quantities of petrol, often worth between $10 and $35, but sometimes as much as $78.
She entered pleas of guilty to all charges, included driving erratically on the Murray Highway, and multiple counts of driving an unregistered vehicle while her licence was suspended.
All of the offences occurred between late 2021 and May, 2022.
The court was told that the woman had previously worked in aged care, at a vineyard and later as a cleaner.
However, pain from an autoimmune condition had contributed to her becoming an unemployed "recluse" and she also had experienced mental health difficulties.
The woman admitted to stealing a small quantity of power tools from a backyard shed in Bendigo and attempting to sell them online for cash.
Police had intervened and halted the sale and she told them the acts were committed out of "desperation".
The court was told she had also taken food from a supermarket and had begun eating it in the car park after being challenged by a staff member.
She will appear before the Bendigo Magistrate's Court again on Thursday to receive her sentence.
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