Hobart’s deputy lord mayor Zelinda Sherlock will not face any further action over food and drink taken from Town Hall after the state’s acting top prosecutor reviewed the case.
The Greens councillor shared a Tasmania Police letter confirming the outcome on Facebook on Friday.
“BREAKING NEWS: The police WILL NOT be investigating a ‘wanna-be’ snack scandal,” she wrote.
She said it was “the second time they have had to tell the Hobart City Council an allowance cannot be stolen”.
Sherlock also took aim at an unnamed fellow councillor, writing that “A ‘wanna-be’ lawyer at the Hobart City Council (elected member) needs to pay attention during class.”
She tagged the post #defamation, #learntheelements and #dirtypolitics.
The police letter, dated September 30, was sent to council chief executive Michael Stretton.
It responds to his July 30 request for police to investigate refreshments removed from the Elected Members’ Lounge in January 2024.
Police reviewed what the letter described as “extensive material” from the council, including correspondence, file notes, CCTV footage and legal advice.
“Following an assessment of the available evidence, the matter was referred to the director of public prosecutions for consideration,” Acting Commander Vanessa Castle wrote.
“The acting director of public prosecutions has since reviewed the referral and advised that no further action be taken in relation to this matter,” Castle wrote.
Police had already found in March that there was not enough evidence to establish an offence.
Councillors voted 5-3 on July 27 to send the matter back to police.
The Integrity Commission also cleared Sherlock of misconduct in June, while the acting director of local government ruled out his own investigation last month.
Sherlock has admitted taking items over several years and apologised, saying she misunderstood council policy.
The council plans to release CCTV footage of the January 2024 incident, despite Sherlock’s objections.
Sherlock is running for re-election as deputy lord mayor on a Greens ticket at this month’s council elections.
