‘Good Samaritan’ scammer Raymond Neil Pinnington jailed for slew of theft and deception charges

A man is behind bars for a series of scams, including targeting a woman with a ‘good Samaritan’ ruse and claiming his grandfather died to receive a bereavement payment.

A notorious scammer has been jailed after he targeted a woman with a ‘good Samaritan’ ruse and claimed his grandfather died to receive a bereavement payment.

Raymond Neil Pinnington’s offending, which was motivated by his drug habit, was slammed by a judge as “particularly heinous”

During sentencing, the District Court heard Pinnington, 42, approached Ms Liu in her parked car on June 9, 2019.

“You knocked on her window and told her that she had a flat front passenger wheel tyre and you offered to change the tyre for her,” Judge Joanne Tracey said.

Once it was changed and Pinnington had driven away, Ms Liu noticed her handbag, containing cash, jewellery and credit cards, was missing.

‘Good Samaritan’ scammer Raymond Neil Pinnington jailed for slew of theft and deception charges. Photo: File

The court heard Pinnington transferred $40,000 from one of Ms Liu’s accounts into his own, as well as using her credit card to pay for several items, including a $4000 watch.

Between November 2017 and June 2022 Pinnington made false declarations to obtain over $8000 in rent assistance payments he was not entitled to.

The court heard Pinnington also falsely submitted that he was caring for his grandfather between July 2021 and May 2022.

“You submitted falsified identity documentation and medical certificates and received $24,370.08 in carer payments for which you were not entitled,” Judge Joanne Tracey said.

Pinnington then attended the Salisbury Service Centre in December 2021 and falsely reported the death of his grandfather, receiving a bereavement payment of over $4000.
The court heard Pinnington also claimed disaster relief payments after pretending he was a Queensland resident affected by floods.

He finally applied, under his grandfather’s identity, for three Covid relief payments after stating he’d contracted the virus and was unable to work.

Pinnington pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft and obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The court heard Pinnington was also jailed for over three years in November 2023 for multiple counts of theft.

“Disturbingly, some of your further offending mirrors the offending before me in that it concerns you offering to assist with a flat tyre, stealing the victim’s handbag and then going on to use their credit cards,” Judge Tracey said.

Judge Tracey said Pinnington’s offending of Ms Liu was “particularly heinous”.

“It involved a breach of trust which was placed in you by Ms Liu, who thought you were being a good Samaritan by offering to change her tyre,” she said.

“You say that all of your offending that is before me was driven by your drug use.”

In her victim impact statement, Ms Liu described how Pinnington’s brazen offending scarred her and her family and left her cautious around strangers.

Adding on to Pinnington’s previous sentence, Judge Tracey jailed him for six years and two months.

He will be eligible for parole in June 2027.