Her obituary described her as 'volatile Vera Purdy, demi-mondaine, pickpocket, dope fiend, veritable she-cat, one of the most picturesque feminine figures to make her way through Australia's underworld'.

[5] In July 1925, she appeared before the court as a witness to provide evidence of liquor served to underage persons at Munn's Occidental Hotel, Christchurch.

'Sweet sixteen, saucily attired' she 'minced forward' to the witness box,[5] only later for the charges to be dismissed against the publican and the barman because she and Pearl Amelia Nicholls looked like quite mature and grown women.

[6] Instead Purdy was charged with being an idle and disorderly person, and committed to the Wellington Borstal Institute for a period not to exceed three years.

[7] After serving fifteen months of a three-year vagrancy sentence, Purdy reportedly moved from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Australia.

[8] From these origins, Purdy's criminal life of adventure commenced, although she managed to avoid incarceration many times despite 'traffic offences, charges of stealing money, running into three figures, from men, and other varied clashes with the cops, brushing against her'.

[9] She admitted later in life 'she took the wrong turning and liked it', and that she 'only knew one way to make a living'; a 1925 New Zealand newspaper reported that her 'cool audacity' had 'won her an elevated place in the bad districts about King's Cross'.

[17] In May 1932, Purdy was to front the Sydney Court of Quarter Sessions on charges of assault with intent to rob, although she was found not guilty the next day.

[17] Ten days later, the 'toughest thing in skirts', the 'dashing, quick-witted girl-friend of razor slashers and dope addicts' had been charged with vagrancy, and was seeking to leave immediately to a 'quaint little one-horse town I've picked out somewhere up north'.

[2] July 1933 saw Auld v Purdy[18] played out in a New South Wales appeals court about section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1902 (NSW), where whoever habitually consorts with known prostitutes commits an offence.

Irene's first husband Norman Bruhn (1894–1927) was a notorious and violent member of the criminal underworlds in both Melbourne and Sydney, and part of Australia's first 'razor gang'.

[33] Charles Francis Purdy (1905–1962), a former New Zealand professional welter boxer married Vera on 7 January 1930, he 24, she 21,[3] at St John's Anglican Church, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

[34] Living on King's Cross Road, Darlinghurst,[13] and several more addresses,[35] coming home drunk early in the morning, she also used to assault him.

[36] By late July 1933, whilst still in love with her, he attended the Sydney Central Summons Court and sought the protection of the law after fearing his wife's threats: 'after remarking, "I'll put a bullet into you, Purdy!"

[43] After her death, a known criminal called at the police station for Purdy's belongings, stating he was her lawful husband, but disappeared when Robinson was located in New South Wales.