A woman who thieved cow hides and sheepskin boots from an Albury shopping centre did so to get "a pointer" of methamphetamine.
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Chantelle Gaffey committed the break-in at Myer Centrepoint with a man who initially forced open a glass sliding door.
But it was Gaffey who ransacked the Pure Hide pop-up shop at the shopping centre, stealing property valued at $2500 to $3000.
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When she was later arrested, Gaffey, now 25, was found with a small flick-knife in her handbag.
Gaffey pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court this week to charges of aggravated break and enter dwelling in company and steal and custody of a knife in a public place.
Court papers listed her as living in South Albury, but the court was told she had no fixed address.
Magistrate Rodney Brender ordered the preparation of a sentence assessment report on Gaffey, who must return to court on January 15.
Mr Brender was told that Gaffey was captured on high-quality CCTV cameras in the Albury central business district, as well as ones within Myer Centrepoint and one at the back of the Bended Elbow nightspot, as she walked through the area on August 6 just after 1.30am.
She was seen heading past the St Vincent de Paul Society charity shop to the glass sliding doors at the southern entrance to the shopping centre.
A man with Gaffey pushed the door with his foot, then the pair walked east towards David Street.
Five minutes later they returned. Gaffey was wearing the same clothes as before, but a red and white bandanna shielded her face.
The man prised-open the same glass sliding doors and slipped inside the centre as Gaffey kept a look-out.
She then entered the centre and was seen heading towards the Pure Hide shop opposite the escalators.
Gaffey reached in and pulled out a plastic tab of sheepskin boots and also grabbed two cow hides, which she handed over to the man.
Two days later, police spoke to Gaffey at the corner of Olive and Hume streets in South Albury about 1pm.
The theft allegation was put to her, but she said she "could not remember" where she was that night.
Just over an hour later, police went to an address in Olive Street. The property tenant showed them where Gaffey had been sleeping.
They found the clothes she was wearing during the break-in, as well as a damaged sheepskin boot.
Gaffey was arrested on September 24.
