A sleeping child left alone for just moments was stolen from right under her mother’s nose, after a woman drove off in the car with the baby still strapped in the back seat.
Brooke Logan Fitzgerald fronted Brisbane District Court on Friday where she pleaded guilty to a single charge of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, following the horrifying offence back in November last year.
Fitzgerald is already serving an 18-month jail term for child stealing after pleading guilty to the charge in September.
She was unable to be dealt with summarily on the charge of unlawfully using the vehicle due to the circumstance of aggravation.
The court was told Fitzgerald was on parole for other unrelated offences, including drug trafficking, at the time she committed the offences.
On Friday, the court was told the woman left her sleeping daughter in the back seat of her car on November 5, 2023 in her office car park in Spring Hill.
The woman had a clear view of the car and her child when she briefly went inside the office, leaving the vehicle running.
Fitzgerald then jumped in the car seat and drove off – only to be arrested a short time later.
During her sentencing on September 19, Brisbane District Court was told Fitzgerald intended to “play mummy and daddy” with the child and called the child’s mother a “bad mum”.
She was sentenced to 18 months’ jail, to be served cumulatively on her current sentence.
District Court Judge Jennifer Rosengren on Friday said she wasn’t inclined to convict but not further punish Fitzgerald for the unlawful use of the motor vehicle.
“(It’s) with the intent to facilitate the commission of an indictable offence,” Judge Rosengren said.
“Given the circumstances of this … it carries a 12 year maximum (sentence).”
The court was told the unlawful use of the motor vehicle charge carried a “significantly” higher maximum penalty than child stealing – which only had a maximum of seven years.
Fitzgerald also had previous convictions for unlawfully using vehicles.
James Grehan, representing Fitzgerald, tendered a bundle of material in support of his client but did not contest submissions that his client receive another term of imprisonment.
Mr Grehan said his client had a “disadvantaged background”.
In his material, he relied on submissions from Fitzgerald’s previous sentence, which included her rehabilitation and mental health treatment.
The court was told she had recently been receiving treatment for her schizophrenia.
Judge Rosengren ultimately imposed a 15-month jail term, with Fitzgerald ordered to serve the term alongside her 18-month sentence for child stealing.
She was made immediately eligible for parole.
The court was told Fitzgerald is currently serving a head sentence of nine years and nine months’ jail, dating back to 2017, and was due to expire in 2027.
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https://thewest.com.au/news/horror-moment-woman-drove-off-in-car-with-mums-sleeping-baby-still-strapped-inside-detailed-at-court-c-16435299
