Curlewis plumber Ben Ainsworth pleads guilty to deception, using stolen credit cards

A Curlewis plumber went on a shopping spree using stolen bank cards to buy cigarettes and alcohol. But he told police he thought the bank cards belonged to his friend’s ex.

Ben Ainsworth used stolen bank cards to purchase alcohol and cigarettes.

A Curlewis plumber told police he thought the stolen credit card he used to go on a shopping spree to buy cigarettes and alcohol belonged to his friend’s ex-boyfriend.

Ben Ainsworth, 29, fronted the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to charges including deception and using a stolen credit card.

On January 26 this year, a man left his wallet with ANZ and Commonwealth bank cards in his car with the window open out front of his Curlewis home.

Ainsworth then took the wallet and used the bank cards to go on his own shopping spree just before 3pm.

He went to Bayview Shopping Centre in Curlewis and made three transactions at Woolworths, purchasing cigarettes and groceries, which ranged from about $23 and $48.

He then went to a nearby TSG and purchased more cigarettes, a lighter and a vape.

Ainsworth then went to Premix King in Drysdale about 3.30pm and bought various alcoholic drinks to the value of about $51.

About 3.50pm, Ainsworth, whose licence was disqualified in November last year, drove to Ampol service station in Drysdale with an unknown female.

Ainsworth stayed in the car while the woman went inside and used the stolen credit card to make a $100 transaction.

About 10 minutes later, they also used the card at a milk bar in Leopold.

Police arrested Ainsworth about 9.20pm on March 2 in Curlewis and was later interviewed by officers.

He told police he couldn’t recall his movements on January 26 and couldn’t say which stops were at Bayview Shopping Centre.

When asked how he came to have the cards, he said he “wasn’t sure” but he thought the cards belonged to his female friend’s ex-boyfriend.

“I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” Ainsworth told police.

Ainsworth’s lawyer told the court her client was a plumber and losing his licence last year had impacted his economic situation.

Magistrate Franz Holzer convicted Ainsworth and fined him $600.

He was also ordered to pay $512.29 in compensation and his licence was disqualified for a further month.

“This behaviour is dishonest,” Mr Holzer said.

“With a (criminal) history of this kind, I would have thought Mr Ainsworth would have thought twice, or three times.”

Originally published as Curlewis plumber Ben Ainsworth pleads guilty to deception, using stolen credit cards