Warrnambool woman sells six-person spa, tools stolen from deceased estate

Cassandra Robins, 32, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday to handling stolen goods and other offences.

The court heard a man who died in March 2020 lived at an address in Warrnambool's Moore Street and previously worked with Robins' former boyfriend.

Then in April, police received a report that the man's property had been broken into over a number of weeks and items had been removed from the address.

A police prosecutor said the deceased estate was "thoroughly ransacked", making it hard to determine exactly what was stolen.

He said known items included power tools, a six-person spa and a 2002 Holden Commodore.

It is believed the Commodore was seen towing the spa away from the property.

The court heard police later located text messages from Robins to a known associate during telephone intercepts as part of an unrelated investigation into drug trafficking.

The prosecutor said Robins arranged to sell the stolen power tools to the male associate.

She also offered to sell him the six-person spa, worth over $5000, for $2200.

But the associate refused, stating he wouldn't "pay close to that" and he could find a "second hand, not stolen spa for $500 on Gumtree".

Police raided a Banyan Street home on April 22 and found personal papers and identification belonging to the deceased man who resided at the burgled estate.

Small amounts of ice and cannabis as well as air rifle pellets were also located.

Robins' ex-boyfriend made admissions to the drugs and weapons located at the property.

A raid at a Breton Street address later uncovered the spa, which was purchased by the occupant for about $2500, the court heard.

The Commodore was then seized from a property in Suzanne Crescent, while the majority of the stolen tools have not been recovered.

Robins also pleaded guilty to falsely claiming a COVID-19 test isolation payment of $450.

That offending occurred in mid-2020.

Lawyer Xavier Farrelly, presenting Robins, said his client did not attend the deceased estate but conceded she had handled the goods stolen from that property.

He said his client had benefited from a significant court delay as she had not re-offended again.

He said Robins was no longer in a relationship with the co-accused and was now drug-free.

Mr Farrelly urged the court to consider a financial penalty or work-only community correction order.

But magistrate Nunzio La Rosa said he and Mr Farrelly were not in agreeance.

"She has priors for handling (stolen goods) and these items can't go anywhere without handlers," he said.

"At the beginning of this, I thought 'she is looking at jail'. This is not a situation where I would even entertain a fine."

Robins will be assessed for a community correction order and sentenced at a later date.