Chelsea McCormick pleads guilty to fraud after using winning pokies ticket which was not hers at Grafton Hotel

A pokies player has landed in a local court after playing with a winning ticket which was not hers at a Grafton pub. Here’s how it played out.

Chelsea McCormick faced Grafton Local Court. Picture: Adam Hourigan

For a moment, a motel manager must have thought she had hit the big time when she won thousands of dollars playing the pokies at the Grafton Hotel.

But little did she know a large amount of money she collected gambling would soon be snatched away from her.

Waterview Heights woman Chelsea McCormick fronted Grafton Local Court on Monday.

She pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

Chelsea McCormick with her lawyer outside Grafton Local Court.

Documents tendered to the court reveal how what should have been an eye-watering win by the manager of Grafton’s Quality Inn Motel turned horribly wrong when she misplaced her handbag.

On August 29 last year, the manager entered the Grafton Hotel on Fitzroy St, where she started off her lucky streak by winning about $2000 at the pokies, paid out in cash.

The woman then won amounts of $4009.76 and $1202, the court heard.

Since the hotel did not have enough cash on premises, the manager was given a cash out ticket for wins, which she could use to collect the money the next day.

McCormick used the ticket which was not hers and ended up pleading guilty to fraud. File image.

The woman returned home, walked up the stairs and realised her handbag was missing.

“Inside her handbag the victim had her iPhone, $1500 in cash from her first win and the two cash out tickets for $4000.76 and $1202,” the documents read.

The next night, around 10:15pm, McCormick entered Grafton Hotel and headed straight to the pokies room, the court heard.

McCormick has not been charged with stealing – but she did have the victim’s $4000.76 in her possession, which she soon put to use.

“(McCormick) put the $4000.76 cash out ticket into a pokie machine and played for a short time before changing machines … (she) played on at least three different pokie machines so it is not known what amount (she) walked out of the hotel with,” court documents state.

Chelsea McCormick with her lawyer..

The inn manager contacted the hotel and spoke with a worker, who noticed McCormick had “a substantial pay out”.

Police arrested McCormick on September 28 – almost a month after she walked out of the hotel.

McCormick said in a police interview she had seen a small rectangular piece of paper when she was walking along Fitzroy St, which she realised was a cash out ticket.

She denied any knowledge of whether or how the victim’s handbag was stolen, the court heard.

“When asked why she did not hand in the cash out ticket … (she) blamed her current messy divorce and needing money,” court documents state.

Magistrate Juliana Crofts delayed McCormick’s sentencing to complete an assessment report.

McCormick’s bail was continued and the case was adjourned to May 15.