Solo mother of two has ‘horrific list’

Press, 18 February 1989, Page 7

Solo mother of two has ‘horrific list’

A solo mother with two children, who Judge Frampton said had a “horrific” list of convictions for offences since 1984, was given prison sentences of 15 months in all when she appeared in the District Court yesterday for a series of dishonesty and other offences. The Judge told Fran Patricia Sullings, aged 26, that she had not responded to sympathetic and lenient sentences imposed in the past. The stage had been reached at which the public was entitled to a long rest from her continual offending. Sullings was given two concurrent prison terms of 15 months for two offences of breaking and entering dwellings. The Judge imposed lesser jail terms, concurrent with the major sentence, on the other charges. ■ These were of theft of a gold ring and camera from a dwelling, unlawfully receiving stolen household items, unlawfully receiving a television set, theft of a handbag and contents, and wallet and contents, from another dwelling, thefts of clothing from two suburban shops, and possessing cannabis plant.

The offences, which Sullings admitted, occurred between January 3 and February 6, while she was serving a sentence of periodic detention imposed in November for previous offences. The police statements relating to one of the offences was that Sullings and a friend broke into a house and took household items worth $3OOO.

When later questioned, she said she decided to steal the property for her own house as she could not afford to purchase the items.

Property worth $2400 has not been recovered. Defence counsel, Mr T. M. Fournier, submitted that the Court should err on the lenient side and

impose a sentence of periodic detention. He sought this for the sake of Sullings’ two chiL dren, who would be put “at risk” if their mother was imprisoned, he said. They would have to be fostered out.

He said her offending had resulted from her taking drugs. The Judge traversed Sullings’ record of offending and sentences imposed in the past. He said she had been given a warning in March last year that further offending could result in imprisonment. NINE MONTHS JAIL Prison terms totalling nine months were imposed on Wayne George Lange, aged 29, for several offences. He was given a sentence of six months imprisonment for unlawfully taking a car, and an additional three months jail for three offences of driving while disqualified. On the disqualified driving charges he was further disqualified for 18 months. He was given lesser, concurrent prison sentences on charges of assaulting and obstructing a constable, and failing to attend a work centre. He was convicted and discharged on two charges of supplying false information. Lange admitted all the offences, which occurred in September and October. (BEFORE JUDGE MAHON) CHARGE DISMISSED A charge against a man aged 18 of harbouring three girls who had left the Kingslea Resource Centre without authority on November 4 was dismissed because the police could not proceed yesterday to prove the charge. The defendant, who was granted final suppression of name, had denied the charge. The charge was to have been defended yesterday.