Extraordinary fall from grace of a high society kleptomaniac who’s banned from Westfield – as a magistrate demands she stop playing the victim and she seeks refuge in her parent’s Harbourside mansion
- String of shoplifting offences
- Banned from Sydney’s shopping capital
- Sentenced to a 20-month intensive correction order
A high society thief from a prominent Sydney family has narrowly avoided jail after being caught red-handing stealing luxury face creams and designer clothing from a Westfield shopping centre.
Elisha Dalah, 35, the elder sibling of Fishbowl restaurateur Nathan Dalah and sister-in-law to Victoria’s Secret model Georgia Fowler, was lambasted by Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge as she pleaded not to be sent to jail despite her her lengthy history of shoplifting and drug abuse.
Dalah’s parents are ex-rag trader and former Elizabeth Bay Marina co-owner Michael Dalah and his wife Michelle. As well as Nathan, she has a designer brother Jordan and actor sister Sophie.
Waverly Local Court heard the mum-of-one used a ‘de-tagger’ to steal a $249 Tommy Hilfiger jumper and a $170 ‘Youth Lift’ face cream from Sephora at Westfield Bondi Junction on July 14.
Elisha (pictured) is the eldest child to Eastern suburbs Dalah family
Elisha Dalah – the older sister of Fishbowl restaurateur Nathan Dalah (pictured) and sister-in-law to New Zealand model Georgia Fowler (pictured)
Plain clothes police observed her leaving Tommy Hilfiger and stealing the face cream before arresting her and charging her with shoplifting and breaching her ban on entering the shopping centre.
Dalah had only recently finished a parole term for other shoplifting offenses when she was arrested.
‘I’m sorry, I have a problem, can I pay for the items now … I don’t know why I steal, I don’t need to steal, I work, I just can’t help myself’,’ she told police, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Dalah’s troubles started when she began using drugs at 14 and had shot up heroin after learning of her former partner’s cancer diagnosis before the thefts.
The court heard she had been sober for eight months, attended rehab twice, and continues to engage in substance abuse and psychological counselling and had not offended since being charged.
Elisha and her son reside at her family’s Point Piper bolthole
Family matriach Michelle Dalah (pictured left) with Georgia Fowler and actor Sophie Dalah
Red-carpet regular Georgia Fowler seen at Cannes film festival one day before her sister-in-law fronted Waverley court
Dalah is believed to be working as a barista at her family-owned business ‘Laissez-Faire Catering’ in Sydney’s Alexandria. She has been living with her son at her parents’ palatial waterfront mansion in exclusive Point Piper.
Magistrate Milledge said in a brutally frank sentencing: ‘Everything I’ve read suggests you see yourself as a victim – you are not a victim’.
‘You’ve said ‘I’m a kleptomaniac, I act on impulse’ – you are calculating and manipulative and deceitful, and your family knows that because they have been dealing with that side of you for years and years and years.’
Dalah was sentenced to a 20-month intensive correction order as well as serve 200 hours of community service.
Dalah was also ordered to pay a $500 fine entering Westfield Bondi Junction while banned.
