A 40 year-old Cowra woman who has "struggled in the past with drug and alcohol' was jailed for seven months when she appeared in the Local Court on November 29, 2023.
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"You're on the way to wellness but it is still going to take some time," magistrate Rana Daher told Sheridan Grace Williams who pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining property by deception.
According to police Williams used a travel card a friend had found to make $1685 worth of purchases.
Jailing Williams, of Darling Avenue, Ms Daher ruled it suitable for her to serve the sentence in the community by way of an Intensive Corrections Order.
Williams, 40, was charged after using a travel card which was lost by its owner.
The court heard the card was used by a co-accused before Williams used it to make online purchases of more than $1600.
"She's struggled in the past with drug and alcohol," Williams' solicitor Clive Hill told the court before adding she had previously engaged with Community Services and was willing to engage again.
"She tells me she's had a great degree of success coping with her problems.
"She relapsed," Mr Hill said.
Sentencing Williams Ms Daher told her her "criminal history does not assist or afford her leniency".
Williams was also ordered to undertake 30 hours of community service and ordered to pay $1090 in compensation.
The offending saw her breach bonds imposed by the court.
Ms Daher took no action in regards to the breaches.
The owner of the travel card Williams used, police said, lost it in June this year.
Police documents reveal a person known to Williams then used the card to make a number of tap and go purchases before providing Williams with the card numbers.
Police said Williams then proceeded to use to the card to make a number of online purchases at McDonald, Woolworths, Big W and Google.
One of the items purchased was an E-bike for $1090.95.
The person who provided Williams with the numbers on the travel card purchased items worth $577.
