Hamilton woman involved in spectacular boat theft ordered to do community work

Molly Richardson, 22, pleaded guilty in the Hamilton Magistrates Court on Wednesday to theft of a boat in Melbourne.

The court was told Richardson had a history of forming relationships with male offenders and been present when they committed crimes.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said stealing the boat was not an insignificant crime and a continuation of Richardson's pattern of out-of-control behaviour while hanging around with hardened criminals.

"You can't keep behaving in this way," he warned, threatening to jail Richardson for two months if she did not comply with her community corrections orders.

"This is your last opportunity to turn this around. You have not fried your brain. You are young and flexible.

"You have the intelligence and ability to change an otherwise awful situation."

The magistrate encouraged Richardson to avoid a cycle of going in and out of jail and to have positive relationships.

Richardson was placed on another 12-month corrections order with the conditions that she do 40 hours of community work and undertake drug assessment and treatment as requested.

Police said that overnight on February 26 Richardson and a male co-accused were involved in stealing a $10,000 yellow boat and trailer from Bay Street in Port Melbourne.

Richardson was seen trying to hook up the boat trailer to a Nissan Patrol.

Police were called and noticed the Nissan Patrol driven by a man had stolen number plates.

The Patrol towing the boat and trailer collided with a police vehicle while trying to avoid officers.

At Balaclava the boat and trailer detached from the Nissan Patrol, causing significant damage to the boat as the Patrol drove off.

There was then an attempt by the co-accused to set the Patrol on fire before Richardson and the man fled and were later arrested.

Richardson admitted to police being involved in stealing the boat.

Lawyer Noel Kennedy said that Richardson was on a community corrections order at the time of the offending for a theft charge.

"She has significant priors at a young age," he said.

Richardson usually lives in Hamilton but at the time of the boat theft had relocated to Melbourne.

An Office Of Corrections report indicated that Richardson's compliance with her CCO was "sporadic".

The lawyer said she started using methamphetamine aged 12 years old, which developed into daily use by 18 and she now had long standing drug issues.

Richardson was involved in a serious road collision during March 2021. Her spleen was removed and she suffered a broken leg which required her to learn how to walk again.

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