Scone Court: Sept 1, 2016

TODAY was an additional court hearing day in Scone to help get through the backlog of matters to be heard at the local court and while there was only two matters dealt with Ms Pallaton’s hearing involved six witnesses and Ms Farrell had 13 charges to be sentenced.

Magistrate Prowse today offered some rat poison to a person appearing before the court explaining because it was legal and had the ingredients listed rather than buying drugs “from some sleazy slime bag down the pub and not knowing what was in it”.

Magistrate Prowse also took time to praise the “great theoretical construct” which is the parole system, explaining that when people offend while they are on parole there is no need for court, they can simply go back into custody with no opportunity to ask for parole for at least six months.

The following matters came before the Scone Court today:

FARRELL, Michelle Maree, a 40 year old from Muswellbrook presented today for sentencing on charges of two counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception, receive/dispose of stolen property, four counts of goods in personal custody suspected being stolen, four counts of larceny and two counts of shoplifting. Ms Farrell’s behaviour was described by Magistrate Prowse as, “a rampage of crime that was reprehensible and to flog things to give to your kids was vomit worthy.” He noted that the children had been put in the position of committing an offence of receiving stolen property if they were over ten years old. Magistrate did note that to get over $1,000 dollars worth of items into a shopping trolley meant that she had become good at being a thief. When sentencing Ms Farrell he noted a change in her demeanor and an acceptance of her actions and gave her a discount for pleading guilty. Taking note of time served, she is now paroled for the balance of a sentence of 30 months, noting that if it is breached she will go straight to gaol.

PALLATON, Taylor Shiralee, a 52 old previously from Stewarts Brook presented for hearing on charges including destroy/damage property and assault police in execution of duty. The court heard evidence alleging that Ms Pallaton had recklessly damaged a door at the Scone courthouse by using excessive force causing it to be broken from one of its hinges. Although Ms Pallaton denied using any force to open the door Magistrate Prowse quoted Newton’s Laws of motion where a body at rest will remain at rest until force is applied. She was found guilty of the charge with no conviction recorded. A compensation order for the damages was ordered.

The charge of assault police in execution of duty involved hearing evidence that an arrest warrant had been executed at the home of Ms Pallaton, where she claimed not t know they were police and had hit the constable in the arms. Magistrate Prowse said that he was satisfied with the approach by police and said Ms Pallaton was lucky it was not the old days where she may have ended up with a baton mark on the forehead and praised modern police for their professional behaviour.

Mr Bates, legal representative for Ms Pallaton attempted to reword a line of questioning at one point only to be halted by Magistrate Prowse who said, “you can’t make the irrelevant relevant by approaching it in a different way.”

Ms Pallaton was found guilty of assault police and sentenced to a bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months.