"However, there was no rice, so I went to Coles in next door, then I went to Coles service desk and present my shopping goods in my trolley before I went into the Coles shop. After quick shopping, I grabbed four bags of rice, two cans cooking oil, two dozens eggs, one bag chicken. "Before I went to check out desk, I was looking for the same lady who checked my shopping trolley before." The attendant had moved to the self-checkout area, so the woman went to show that attendant her trolley and receipts. The woman claimed she was trying to say, "I pay", meaning what she had in her trolley she had already shown, and she intended to buy the rest, but the woman said the attendant began yelling at her. “There were lots of customers in the self-checkout area and looked at me. I was very stressed and upset, I told the lady I pay, and I walked back the other checkout counter, waiting in the line to pay, but she called someone," the woman's statement read.

“There was police officer came to me, asked my ID cards, I have passed to him, meanwhile, I tried to talk to the shop ladies that was a terrible misunderstanding, but no one would like to listen to me and everyone in the shops staring at me, some people took picture and video at me, also I heard someone talk about coronavirus carrier, according mine look. “I was super humility and stressed about the situation. I do not know what to do. I did not walk out Coles and I offered to pay for my shopping goods, why nobody would like to listen or offer help? I understand it's Armadale but no everyone is theft.” During what the woman claimed was a misunderstanding, police were called and security at the shopping centre took her photograph. She was issued an on-the-spot 12-month ban from Coles nationally and an separate 12-month ban for the entire Armadale shopping centre. Police fined her $500 for stealing, which she will have to contest in court.

Dr Buti’s electorate office staff are attempting to help the single mother obtain legal assistance and seeking advice from the Attorney General’s office on progressing an Equal Opportunities complaint. She told Dr Buti’s staff it was already difficult to go out in public at the moment given racist sentiment around the coronavirus and they received the impression from her account of events was that if she had been white and her accent was less heavy the incident would not have occurred. "Unfortunately as this is a police matter Coles is unable to provide any further comment," a Coles spokeswoman said. The woman's statement is reproduced verbatim below: "On 05 March 2020 afternoon, I brought some goods from ALDI supermarket and other shops in Armadale shopping centre,

"however, there was no rice, so I went to Coles in next door, then I went to Coles service desk and present my shopping goods in my trolley before I went into the coles shop. After quick shopping, I

grabbed 4 bags of rice, 2 cans cooking oil, 2 dozens eggs, 1 bag chicken. "before I went to check out desk, I was looking for the same lady who checked my shopping trolley before, and she was in self-checkout area, "so I walked to her and showed her what in my trolley, also I showed her my receipts, she said that's lots of rice, do you have receipt, I said I pay, she asked loudly do you have the receipt, I said I showed you my trolley with receipts and I pay (what I try to say is what I had in my trolly [sic] I have showed before and I will pay the rice and oil and rest from Coles), "she started yelling at me, there were lots of customers in the self-checkout area and looked at me. I was very stressed and upset, I told the lady I pay, and I walked back the other check out counter,

waiting in the line to pay, but she called someone and they took out my shopping goods includes some stuff I bought from other shops. "there was police officer came to me, asked my ID cards, I have passed to him, meanwhile, I tried to talk to the shop ladies that was a terrible misunderstanding, but no one would like to listen to me, and everyone in the shops staring at me, some people took picture and video at me, also I heard someone talk about coronavirus carrier, according mine look.