ID cards taken to fund an ice habit

Lisa Renee Restall, 39, has a long history of deception and dishonesty offences and has been stealing people’s identities to fund her drug problem.

The Lavington woman’s latest crimes were blatant, and even continued when a woman walked up to her and told her to stop.

Restall – who sobbed for about 25 minutes in Albury Local Court this week – had cards belonging to nine other people including Victorian and NSW driver licences, a James Fallon High School student ID, a health care card, pension cards, Bupa membership card and North Albury Sports Club membership card.

She had walked around homes in Lavington and North Albury, stealing mail, and used some of the stolen cards to steal packages from Australia Post.

In one bizarre incident, she stole a licence from a Bellevue Street woman and used the card to open an account at the Bendigo Bank Branch on Griffith Road.

Footage captured the whole transaction.

But instead of the card being sent to Restall’s home, it was sent the address on the driver’s licence and the woman contacted police last month.

The same card was used to steal a lion pendant purchased from eBay.

Restall had taken a collection card from a Griffith Road home and took it to the Lavington Post office on July 28, using the ID to collect the goods.

The victim had known Restall for nearly 30 years, having grown up together and attended the same school.

Another victim ordered a tooth whitener to her Kothoff Street home in July and Restall took the postal delivery card.

She went to the Lavington post office and used a stolen NSW driver’s licence to collect the goods last month.

She was caught red handed with stolen mail by police earlier this month after a resident saw her taking the letters and stuffing them into a bag.

But she failed to attend the station a few days later and skipped bail, and was found hiding under a sleeping bag in her home on September 7.

Restall repeatedly mouthed “I love you” to her partner and a friend in court, between sobs and tears which did not stop during the entire hearing.

She breathed heavily and cried even harder when told she would be bailed.

Restall will return for sentencing on October 24.