A Mother of Three Avoids Jail After Stolen Lego Haul
A mother of three has avoided a prison sentence after being found with a massive stash of stolen Lego in her shed. Dai Truong, 34, recently admitted to four charges related to a $320,000 worth of stolen Lego sets that were discovered by police at her former home in Dudley Park, Adelaide.
Truong, who now lives in Devon Park, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession and three counts of dealing with property without consent following a raid on her former home on March 31. During the operation, police uncovered an impressive collection of brand new Lego sets, including those from popular franchises like Star Wars and Disney, hidden in a garden shed.
The scale of the theft was staggering, with officers needing 15 pallets and two horse boxes to transport the items from the property. While the court did not hear the full story behind the entire haul, Truong admitted to possessing the Lego sets and stealing from the same Kmart branch on three separate occasions.
According to reports, Truong used the base compartment of her child’s pram to smuggle boxes of Lego from the Marion Shopping Centre branch. The three thefts occurred weeks apart, with each incident involving only a small number of boxes. However, these actions contributed only a small portion of the overall amount found during the raid.
A week after entering her guilty pleas, Truong returned to the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court for sentencing. Despite warnings that she might face a custodial sentence, she will avoid jail time. Instead, magistrate Aaron Almedia agreed to a home detention order, allowing Truong to serve her sentence from her home.
For the single count of unlawful possession, which involved the entire haul, Truong was sentenced to seven months in prison. However, this was reduced to four months and six days due to her early guilty pleas.
In addition to the home detention order, the magistrate also ordered Truong to pay compensation to Kmart Marion for the stolen goods. She was required to pay $1774 to cover the value of her three thefts—$874, $600, and $300 respectively. She was also ordered to pay $1112 in victim-of-crime levies to the court.
This case highlights the serious consequences of theft and the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions. While Truong will not be serving time in prison, the financial penalties and restrictions on her movement will serve as a reminder of the impact of her crimes.
