Donna Marnham, 32, previously of Moore Street, Warrnambool, and now of Geelong, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court last week to handling stolen goods, committing an offence while on bail, burglary and theft.

Defence counsel Xavier Farrelly said Marnham felt bad about the burglary at the Koroit Street salon because the employer had helped out his client by providing her a job.

But when the part-time job had developed into a full-time position, Marnham couldn’t take it up and the break-in happened after that.

Mr Farrelly said Marnham had real regrets but the offence was not committed out of malice or revenge, only to feed her drug habit.

Marnham was convicted, fined $1000, ordered to pay more than $2000 restitution and jailed for two months with the sentence suspended for 12 months.

Mr Farrelly said his client had a long history of drug abuse and her offences in Warrnambool came about after she had been clean for three months but was then tempted back into the drug scene.

Police allege that late on March 19 Marnham and her boyfriend went to a Koroit Street hair salon, damaged two doors and stole a cash register containing $250.

They took the cash register to Albert Park, forced it open, stole the money and then burnt the register which was valued at $599. 

A fire spread to nearby grassland and the fire brigade was called to put it out.