A woman who stole an 18-month-old baby told the girl’s mother she didn’t deserve children when confronted after a frantic car chase, a judge has heard.
Brooke Logan Fitzgerald, 32, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court today to one count of child stealing.
Judge John Coker heard a 33-year-old woman drove with her baby to the inner Brisbane suburb of Spring Hill just after midday on November 5, 2023 to run business errands.
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The woman decided not to wake her baby when she arrived at her business and left her car’s engine running where she could keep an eye on her.
Fitzgerald later entered the vehicle and drove off with the girl still inside.
The mother was able to use a tracking device and a friend’s car to intercept Fitzgerald within about 20 minutes.
“What sort of a mother leaves a child in the car?” Fitzgerald told police when they arrived to arrest her.
Fitzgerald also told police she deserved to be a mother and intended to take the child home to “play mummy and daddy”.
Judge Coker told Fitzgerald her comments that day still played on the mother’s mind.
“I almost believed you when you said I was a bad mum, that I failed my daughter and I didn’t deserve her,” the mother said in a victim impact statement.
Crown prosecutor Joshua Francis said Fitzgerald’s offending was not as serious as some cases involving child stealing but still had concerning features that warranted up to three years in prison.
“There was certainly an intention of the defendant to take the child for a prolonged period but she was interrupted and prevented from doing that by the quick actions of the mother,” he said.
Francis said Fitzgerald was on parole at the time of offending and called for her new sentence to be cumulative on her current eight-year term for drug trafficking.
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Defence barrister James Grehan asked for a suspended sentence as Fitzgerald suffered from an abusive childhood and was not seeking proper treatment for her schizophrenia at the time.
“She was experiencing symptoms on the day of offending that affected her judgment,” he said.
Grehan said Fitzgerald had written a letter of apology and had used her time in custody to improve her mental health.
Judge Coker said Fitzgerald’s offence was not common but it was obviously a great concern.
“It strikes at the very heart of the community, our society generally, the importance of the vulnerable in our community – children – and those that care for the vulnerable,” he said.
Judge Coker said he accepted Fitzgerald was remorseful and he hoped a lengthy period of supervision would help break her cycle of drug addiction and incarceration.
Fitzgerald was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment cumulative on her previous term.
She will be immediately able to apply for parole with any decision about her release to come at a later date.
Fitzgerald’s charge relating to taking the vehicle was due to be dealt with today in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
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