Chelsea Joy Denmead pleads guilty to fraud, driving under the influence

A young Whitsunday bartender has paid the price for trying to party for free, at someone else’s expense. Here’s why the magistrate said her story had ‘more holes than a dartboard’.

A Whitsunday bartender has faced court after using a stranger’s debit card to buy more than $150 worth of drinks on a night out with friends.

Chelsea Joy Denmead, 23, made multiple payWave transactions on the debit card at Airlie Beach nightclub Mama Africa on June 20, spending $167 in the space of 30 minutes before dumping the card near the front of the venue.

Proserpine Magistrates Court heard Denmead was bar-hopping with about 15 other people when one of the group accidentally picked up a stranger’s handbag as they left Irish pub Paddy’s Shenanigans and headed to Mama Africa about 2am.

The court heard Denmead handed the bag in to Mama Africa staff, but not before pocketing the owner’s debit card.

The court heard Denmead was employed as a bartender at Magnums but aspired to become an international flight attendant and ‘get out of a scene where she’s constantly surrounded by alcohol’. Picture: Facebook

Denmead voluntarily attended Whitsunday Police Station on July 31, telling officers she thought the card belonged to her aunty, who “wouldn’t have minded her using the card”.

Magistrate James Morton was not buying that explanation, telling Denmead her story had “more holes than a dartboard” and that her conduct was “disgraceful”.

“I don’t believe it for one second,” Mr Morton said, confirming that Denmead’s aunty’s name did not match the name on the card.

“She’s racking up a bill on somebody else’s account, drinking free of charge.”

The 23 year old told the court she had a tendency to make bad decisions while under the influence of alcohol and had cut down her drinking significantly since the fraud incident – ‘not even [having] knock offs at work’. Picture: Facebook

As well as one charge of fraud for the debit card offence, Denmead pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Cannonvale on September 15.

The court heard Denmead had spent that night drinking at Beaches Bar, taken a taxi home, then decided to drive to McDonalds with a 0.183 blood alcohol concentration to get something to eat about 1.30am.

For the fraud, Denmead was sentenced to pay a $450 fine plus $167 to the victim, with no conviction recorded.

The sentence for the driving UIL charge was a $1200 fine and a 12-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.