A Gumtree scammer with a passion for fashion who conned men online and ran over one of her victims should escape prison time because she has an intellectual disability and a low IQ, her lawyers have argued.
Brylie Stratton, 22, showed off her expensive taste for designer labels when she arrived at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday sporting a $1,200 Givenchy jumper.
She has pleaded guilty to a string of charges including theft, car theft, willfully damaging property, failing to comply with a court order, and attempted theft.
The court heard Stratton targeted Melbourne sellers on the popular classified website posing as a potential buyer using the fake alias of ‘Molly Sue.’
She would then arrange to meet up with the sellers before driving off with their goods without paying.
Gumtree scammer Brylie Stratton (pictured) could avoid jail time, despite pleading guilty to a string of serious charges including theft, car theft, wilfully damaging property, failing to comply with a court order, and attempted theft
In one incident in June last year, Stratton bashed a man’s face with the MacBook Pro laptop she was trying to steal as he tried to stop her from driving away by reaching into the car window before he lost his grip and fell from the car.
The victim spent two days in hospital, where he underwent surgery for a badly injured foot and received stitches for a gash above his eye.
The court also heard Stratton met up with two sellers within hours of each other on July 30.
Stratton met one victim in Melbourne CBD to inspect his iPhone before snatching it from the passenger seat of the car she and an associate stole and fled.
The father-of-four rushed to hospital with serious leg and arm injuries after he was run over and dragged 50 metres down Little Bourke Street.
Just hours before stealing the iPhone, Stratton had done a runner on another man in north-east Melbourne by stealing his $1400 Apple MacBook Pro laptop.
Brylie Stratton (pictured) wore a $1,200 Givenchy jumper as she arrived at court in Melbourne on Tuesday
Stratton’s shocking crime spree ended after police raided her Coburg home a week later.
Officers found a treasure trove of luxury goods, including three Louis Vuitton bags, a Louis Vuitton purse, a Gucci purse, an Apple Watch and a Kathmandu jacket, along with $450 cash.
Stratton’s lawyer claimed she could be rehabilitated in the community and that she should be considered for a court treatment program because she has a low IQ of 68 and struggles to remember scheduled appointments.
The lawyer also argued Stratton had a intellectual disability and suspected ADHD, NCA NewsWire reported.
Magistrate Angela Bolger agreed Stratton was a suitable candidate while offering a stern advice.
She warned the program was Stratton’s ‘one and only’ chance to avoid time behind bars and that she must attend every court-ordered appointment and assessment
She warned the program was Stratton’s ‘one and only’ chance to avoid time behind bars and that she must attend every court-ordered appointment and assessment.
‘Don’t think for a moment I’m not serious when I say to you – if you don’t take up this opportunity, if you continue to do what you were doing – you will end up in jail,’ the magistrate told the young woman.
Stratton will be sentenced next month.
She left court shielding her face with her hands and made no comment while surrounded by a media scrum.
A co-accused, 17, also linked to the crime spree remains on bail awaiting trial.
Among the treasure trove found by police at Stratton’s home were Louis Vuitton bags (stock image), a Louis Vuitton and Gucci purses, an Apple Watch and a Kathmandu jacket
