Adelaide beautician Aldina Ederlina Fanning jailed by District Court for stealing friend’s identity

AN Adelaide beautician and real estate agent has been jailed for stealing her best friend’s identity and taking out a loan for a new car.

18/2/16 Aldina Ederlina Fanning at the District Court, where she is to face sentencing submissions for producing fake IDs out of her fake eyelash business. Aldina Ederlina Fanning outside District Court. **NO BYLINE PLEASE**

AN Adelaide beautician and real estate agent has been jailed for stealing her best friend’s identity and taking out a loan for a new car.

Aldina Ederlina Fanning, 31, will spend at least 10 months behind bars after pleading guilty to one count each of producing prohibited material and deceiving another to benefit herself.

Fanning, who was serving a good behaviour bond for larceny and unlawful drugs possession charges in New South Wales, was jailed for stealing the identity of ex-roommate, Vanessa Curnow, 31.

Sentencing her on Wednesday to one year and four months in jail with a non-parole period of 10 months, District Court Chief Judge Geoffrey Muecke described her crimes as a “breach of trust in a serious way”.

Fanning, a former heroin addict, faced a maximum 10 years in jail for her crimes, which had left her victim, who was not in court, “traumatised” by her actions.

“Many of her emotions resulted from having deceived, manipulated and taken advantage of by someone she looked up to as a sister and that she loved,” Judge Muecke said.

Aldina Fanning, who's accused of running a fake ID scam out of her eyelash boutique business

Aldina Fanning, who's accused of running a fake ID scam out of her eyelash boutique business

Fanning, of Northgate, shook her head as Judge Muecke described how her victim struggled to socialise and deal with the consequences of her betrayal.

She had been entrusted with her best friend’s personal details to plan a holiday to Hawaii, but instead used them to obtain a bogus driver’s licence and a $35,413 loan for a new car.

Her guilty pleas relate to the finance company losing $12,000.

Fanning then compounded her betrayal by redirecting her friend’s mail and phone to ensure the woman would not know about the fraudulent use of her name.

Judge Muecke said he took into account Fanning’s remorse, her stable employment at MichaelKris Real Estate, how she had started her own business, Le Lash Beautique, with her unnamed partner, and that she had repaid the money.

However, he was “not confident” she posed a low risk of reoffending.

In February last year, she attempted to use her then-housemate’s expired driver’s licence to secure finance for a GT Mazda car because she “wanted to look the part” in her new job as an estate agent.

Aldina Ederlina Fanning outside the District Court.

Fanning has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for stealing her friend’s identity.

When that failed, she used Ms Curnow’s identity papers to have a new driver’s licence issued — one featuring Ms Curnow’s name and Fanning’s photograph.

Fanning then redirected Ms Curnow’s mail, changed her phone plan and created email accounts in her name so she would never be contacted about the loan.

Her scheme came undone when, in May, Ms Curnow received a customer service call from Optus and was alerted to the changes.

“It was submitted matters quickly spiralled out of control when you panicked thinking you had been found out and that caused you to cover your tracks,” said Judge Muecke.

He reduced Fanning’s sentence from two years imprisonment by giving her the “full discount” of 30 per cent for her early guilty pleas.

Judge Muecke said a psychologist found Fanning had suffered attention deficit hyperactivity disorder “most of her life”, was prone to impulsivity and also had an anxiety disorder.

She had fallen in with the “wrong crowd” as a teenager and became romantically involved with a drug dealer.

Fanning has previously received suspended sentences for fraud-related charges, larceny, stealing and drugs possession, the last of which occurred in Sydney in April 2013 when she received a two year good behaviour bond.

She arrived at court on Wednesday using an umbrella to shield her face.

As she was led away from the dock, she waved at family in the public gallery, including her mother and current boyfriend.

Her family declined to comment outside court.