Amanda Schneider to be sentenced for credit card offences

A 93-year-old woman’s credit card details were allegedly used to make an array of alcohol, cigarette and pizza purchases as well as transactions all amounting to more than $5000 by two siblings from western NSW, police have stated.

Amanda Schneider at Dubbo Local Court.

A western NSW care worker accused of using a 93-year-old client’s credit card details to make several transactions without her consent amounting to more than $5000 will be sentenced after she was convicted in her absence.

Amanda Jane Schneider, 32, was charged in July 2022 with six counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception and seven counts of being an accessory to dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage.

The first six charges pertain to allegations she obtained credit card details for a 93-year-old Dubbo woman she was employed to help clean, shower and shop, and used them herself to pay off personal loans and transfer money into her personal bank account.

The seven accessory charges pertain to allegations her brother used the same credit card details to buy alcohol and cigarettes from South Dubbo Tavern and pizzas from Domino’s at Orana Mall and Wyoming on the state’s Central Coast.

Schneider was then charged with failing to appear in court as required by her bail conditions after she did not appear in court on September 5 and November 23 last year.

Amanda Schneider, 30.

On the first occasion Schneider was convicted in her absence, but the conviction was later annulled by a magistrate.

However, efforts to annul a second conviction in her absence after she did not appear in court on November 23 failed following an application at Dubbo Local Court on January 18.

Magistrate Gary Wilson denied that application, which was made on the basis Schneider wished to defend the charges and that her phone was damaged and unusable when she was last due to appear in court.

As a result, The Dubbo News can now reveal the extent of the police case against Schneider and Jerome Hill, a Dubbo man identified as her brother in court documents.

Police allege between March 9 and May 5 last year, Schneider used the 93-year-old woman’s credit card details to pay off a $376 loan through Quick Cash, and used PayPal to transfer $4556.25 from the woman’s Macquarie Credit Union bank card to her own account.

It is further alleged Schneider was an accessory when Hill used the same woman’s credit card details to buy alcohol, cigarettes and pizzas worth $622.35 over several separate transactions between May and May 9 last year.

“Schneider denies the offences and is unable to explain why she is linked to the offences,” police state in documents tendered to the court.

“She does, however, concede she knows the victim through her employment.”

Dubbo Local Court. Picture: Supplied

Court documents indicate Schneider is employed by Dubbo home care service Australian Unity and had assisted the victim with cleaning, showering and shopping 25 times.

The siblings were arrested when the 93-year-old woman noticed “abnormal” transactions she had not made on her bank statement, then went to the bank to report it.

The credit union then cancelled and seized her card and reported the matter to police.

Police are seeking financial compensation for the woman.

Schneider will be now be sentenced for the offences at Dubbo Local Court on March 1 after she failed to have her convictions annulled.

Her brother Hill has pleaded guilty to seven counts of dishonestly obtaining an advantage by deception and one of failing to appear in court when required.

He will attempt to have his matters dealt with under the Mental Health Act at Dubbo Local Court on February 8.