Ashley Louise Christmas and Daniel James Langmead plead guilty to $86k credit card fraud

A Parkinson’s sufferer has been emotionally crippled after his daughter and her partner defrauded him to fund their lifestyle “rather than getting a job”, a court’s heard.

Ashley Christmas and Daniel Langmead outside Mt Barker Magistrate Court on Friday, September 24. Pictures/Russell Millard

A Parkinson’s sufferer has been left with “feelings of sadness, betrayal … and “gut- wrenching pain” after discovering his daughter and her partner had defrauded him of more than $86,000, a court has heard.

Ashley Louise Christmas, 30, and Daniel James Langmead, 31, appeared in Mt Barker Magistrates Court last week where they pleaded guilty to dishonestly taking property without consent.

The charges related to serious credit card fraud committed between November 2017 and April 2020 in Woodside, Balhannah, Mannum and other places.

The court heard the couple made 1768 charges to a credit card owned by Christmas’s father, Philip Christmas, to purchase mostly everyday items.

Both were and remain unemployed.

The victim impact statement by Philip Christmas.

The fraud resulted in a total financial loss of $86,183.

Items purchased included food, petrol, medication and a gel blaster. It was also used to pay for the couple’s utility bills.

Police prosecutor Brevet Sergeant Fred Keal said Philip Christmas had initially given the couple consent to use the card to buy food and cigarettes for him while he was in hospital, but other payments were made without his knowledge.

This included 436 unauthorised charges to Afterpay accounts, 55 to PayPal, 211 to the On The Run app, 18 to a Mannum pharmacy, and payments to internet provider TPG and Latitude Pay.

A total of 284 unauthorised charges were also made to Balhannah Foodland, 13 to Nairne Community Pharmacy, 324 to Laybuy and 427 to Openpay.

Sergeant Keal said the betrayal “was breathtaking” in scale.

He said police wanted the couple to repay the huge debt in full.

“In relation to the sentence, this offence carries sufficient fraud to (impose) 10 years imprisonment and this is sustained in the heartless betrayal of a man suffering from Parkinson’s disease,” he said.

“Even after such poor treatment, Mr Christmas has said he doesn’t want his daughter to go into custody, which shows he is a better father than she deserves.”

Ashley Christmas, Daniel Langmead and a supporter enjoy a joke and a laugh outside Mt Barker Magistrate Court. Pictures/Russell Millard

In a written statement to the court, Mr Christmas – who was too ill to attend – said the couple’s actions had caused him serious financial strain.

But more than anything, he said it had caused a sense of betrayal.

“There are no words that can explain my feelings of sadness, betrayal and the gut- wrenching pain I continue to suffer since discovering what my daughter Ashley Christmas has done,” the statement says.

“I have worked hard all my life and have always helped my children both financially and emotionally whenever they have needed it.

“Thinking someone had stolen my credit card details brought on a complete state of confusion for me.

“To then find out it was my daughter completely shattered me.

“A father should never have to face such an horrific betrayal by one of his children and I can say I am and will continue to be utterly heartbroken.”

The couple’s lawyers both asked for leniency, including consideration for home detention should a prison sentence be imposed.

The court heard that the couple were “good people” who made a serious mistake at a time when they were both struggling emotionally and financially.

When asked by Magistrate Lynette Duncan what the money was spent on, Ashley Christmas’s lawyer said: “Generally speaking … normal things people would spend money on day-to-day, rather than get a job, I suppose.”

Sentencing was adjourned to October 20 at Christies Beach Magistrates Court.