Lucia Menichelli to spend time in jail on driving, shoplifting charges

Lucia Menichelli, 35, pleaded guilty to several offences including driving while disqualified, driving under the influence of drugs, shoplifting offences and breaches of bail at the Launceston Magistrates Court on August 31.

Police told the court she had been arrested after the latest act of disqualified driving at St Helens on August 3, 2023, and officers were aware she had an outstanding warrant in Victoria for the retrieval of her children.

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Defence counsel Emily Hindle said Menichelli received a visit from child protection officers "out of nowhere" in July 2023, and returned to Tasmania in a hurry as she did not know what else to do.

"Essentially, she panicked," Ms Hindle said.

Menichelli had been under the supervision of the Victorian Family Services and believed she had been making good progress prior to the officers showing up on her doorstep according to Ms Hindle.

Ms Hindle continued, saying the current problems had their roots more than a decade ago when Menichelli's father shot her mother in the head, which prompted a "descent" into drug use and criminal behaviour.

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After she moved to the mainland for a "fresh start", the sudden death of Menichelli's father in 2021 brought her back.

Ms Hindle said Menichelli fell back into old associations and habits "out of necessity" before she returned to the mainland.

"It was a very vulnerable time in her life," she said.

Ms Hindle said it was yet another vulnerable time for Menichelli, with Family Services waiting for her on the mainland and little family support offered to her in Tasmania.

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"The system was working against her," she said.

"She was out of place with no support."

Ms Hindle said Menichelli was determined to get on the straight and narrow, get her children back, and make another attempt at a fresh start in Tasmania.

Magistrate Simon Brown said although Menichelli had numerous convictions he believed she had prospects to reform, and urged her to continue striving to retain custody of her children, who were in care.

"Despite your poor record, it is important the prospect for reform is not ignored," Mr Brown said.

"There is a very real motivation with your children."

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Mr Brown said although Menichelli had spent four weeks in prison at the time of the hearing, a longer stay was warranted to ensure both the woman and others were deterred from future offending.

He sentenced her to 12 weeks imprisonment, backdated to August 3, and suspended six of those weeks for 18 months.

Mr Brown also disqualified Menichelli from driving for six months as part of a community correction order, and another four, cumulative three-month disqualification periods for the driving offences.

The six-month disqualification and some of the other disqualifications will be served concurrently, for a total of 12 months off the road.

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