‘Opportunistic’ fraudster goes on spending spree with stolen bank card
She was identified on CCTV buying clothes and booze from various stores with someone else’s money but told officers she no memory of the incidents.
Police & Courts
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A court has heard how a woman used a bank card she found to make purchases at Rebel Sport and at a bottle shop, but had no memory of the offending.
Katelyn Anne Lucky Tewaiti pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday to one count of stealing and two counts of fraud.
The court heard the card’s owner had been out shopping in Bundaberg on October 30 when she unknowingly dropped her bank card on her way to her car.
The card was then found by Tewaiti who used it at two stores the next day.
Tewaiti first used the card at Rebel Sport to buy clothes using paywave to the value of $79.98.
She then returned to that store again and used the card again this time spending $84.98.
That same afternoon Tewaiti went to the Sugarland Tavern’s drive-thru bottle shop where she used the card to buy a 10 pack of Smirnoff ice to the value of $52.99.
Police went to both stores and viewed CCTV footage where they identified her.
Tewaiti was located by police in June this year and she told them she had no memory of the incident.
She was then issued a notice to appear.
Duty lawyer Matt Maloy told the court he was instructed Tewaiti found the card on the side of the road and the offending was “opportunistic”.
Mr Maloy said Tewaiti had previously suffered through issues with drugs and was using at the time of the offending.
He said she was now not using and had two other court appearances before appea.
Magistrate Andrew Moloney took into account Tewaiti’s plea of guilty and limited criminal history.
Mr Moloney also took into account Tewaiti was “in the grips of a drug addiction” at the time and the outcomes if the matters were to be dealt with at the same time as her previous ones.
Tewaiti was placed on a $600 good behaviour bond for a period of 12 months and was ordered to pay a total of $217.95 in restitution.
A conviction was not recorded.
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