A Canberra woman who set up a clothing drive for South Coast bushfire victims has argued a magistrate should take that into account when considering whether she should be granted bail.
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Krystal Sandy Jansen-Young, 29, has admitted to committing 18 driving offences in less than two years, starting in March 2018. In the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, Special Magistrate Margaret Hunter noted six of the offences were driving disqualified - Jansen-Young has six past convictions for the same offence.
Ms Hunter asked Jansen-Young's defence lawyer on Thursday: "Why should I give her bail?
"She continues to drive whilst disqualified ... [12 offences is] way over the top."
The defence laywer said Jansen-Young had been in custody for 25 days. He said her ex-partner, who was a corrections officer, had done a check on her cell while she was in the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
The defence lawyer said Jansen-Young had assisted jail staff by giving them information that led to a staff member being "stood down", and assisted the community in a broader sense by providing support to bushfire victims.
Jansen-Young, "of her own volition", set up a bushfire victims appeal called "Clothes Off Our Backs" on December 24, 2019, according to a letter tendered to the court.
The letter, which was written by an appeal volunteer, said the amount of clothing donated to the cause was "unbelievable". Jansen-Young "could no longer store anymore donated items in her house or double garage".
"Krystal had thought up, devised, and facilitated the whole operation, from collection to distribution, to logistics, plus [volunteers'] accommodation. Everything," the letter said.
Jansen-Young wanted Ms Hunter to take her efforts into consideration on Thursday, in what was her second bail application. The magistrate said they should instead be taken into account during sentencing.
Jansen Young's defence lawyer agreed. Jansen-Young said her partner could also offer the court a $3000 surety that she would not breach bail conditions.
Ms Hunter said: "The fact of the matter is she keeps further offending ... no means no, you cannot drive."
She refused Jansen-Young bail, to appear in court again for sentencing on April 7.
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