A FORMER Instagram model who was previously jailed over a series of crimes is now locked up again after her drug addiction spiralled out of control.
Mum-of-one Monique Agostino, 28, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment with a five-month non-parole period just three years after she served time in one of Australia‘s toughest prisons.
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Appearing at Sydney’s Sutherland Local Court, the ex-model pleaded guilty to possessing someone else’s ID to commit fraud, larceny, drug possession, drug driving, possessing goods suspected of being stolen and driving an unregistered, uninsured car while disqualified.
The court heard that police had a total of 15 warrants out for Agostino’s arrest in the past four years, news.com.au reports.
It would be her second time behind bars as Agostino was sentenced to two years in Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre in September 2020.
The model who had worked as a real estate agent, pleaded guilty to a series of masked robberies with teenagers, drug offences and possessing a knife in Target.
The mum had thousands of followers on Instagram, where she regularly posted photos in bikinis and even in a catwoman suit.
But she turned to crime in 2018 when she became a getaway driver for a group of teenage boys who robbed an Italian restaurant and tried to break into a fruit shop and cafe.
She was later arrested over a series of other crimes, including credit card fraud, knife possession and drug offences.
Agostino appealed the sentence while serving time and was released on bail.
Before her appeal was heard she was stopped by detectives because she had breached her bail conditions.
But the appeal was dismissed after she did not turn up to her court date.
The court was told on Thursday that her drug use spiralled out of control when she lost her license to work as a real estate agent.
Her lawyer told the court Agostino had “loads of potential” and was studying an online e-commerce course.
He said: “She’s relatively young… although she’s clocked up a lot of miles in life in many ways.
“If you speak to her directly, you’d be impressed. She’s an intelligent individual who has used her abilities for criminal (reasons) instead of constructive reasons… that’s not to say it will always be that way.”
Magistrate Hugh Donnelly said that according to Agostino’s psychological report, she was using amphetamines regularly up until her arrest and that her lawyer’s plans for a community-based sentence would not help her drug addiction.
He said: “More than 10 warrants have been executed since 2019,” noting she had a record of not showing up to court.
“She is a persistent offender when it comes to driving while disqualified — it’s at least the third time she’s come to court for that,” he added.
Her lawyer admitted her poor record showed a “determined thumbing of the nose at the law,” but said, “we’re all a work in progress”.
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