Aayush Bhattarai, Neha Giri: Alleged Parramatta scammers remain behind bars
One half of a Parramatta couple accused of swindling $26,000 from the elderly resorted to the alleged ruse after he lost his job because of coronavirus, his lawyer has told a court in a bid for bail.
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Aayush Bhattarai — one half of the Parramatta couple who allegedly swindled $26,000 from the elderly and vulnerable — targeted them after he became financially desperate after he lost his job to coronavirus, his lawyer has told a court in a bid to secure bail.
Bhattarai, 20, and his now ex-girlfriend Neha Giri, 22, are accused of posing as bank employees to steal thousands of dollars from elderly residents in Telopea, Frenchs Forest and Wakeley as part of a sophisticated syndicate operating from India in May and June.
The Nepalese nationals were charged in June after an 85-year-old Telopea woman told Cumberland police she had received a call from someone posing as a bank worker in June when they tried to get her to shell out $8000 and organise Bhattarai, the “courier’’ to collect the cash from her home.
Bhattarai and Giri would then electronically transfer the funds overseas.
At Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, Giri and Bhattarai appeared separately via video link from custody and Bhattarai’s lawyer applied for bail.
Bhattarai’s lawyer Rita Lahoud played down her client’s role in the scheme said Giri had a more significant role and directly dealt with the syndicate managers and organised funds to be transferred to Indian banks.
She said he admitted to his involvement but was financially desperate after he lost his job as a kitchenhand when the pandemic struck and was ineligible for JobKeeper.
“The role of the co-accused was certainly more significant than the accused’s role,’’ she said. “He was parcel boy but on the scale of the objective seriousness in terms of the co-accused, her role was more significant.
“He’s a young man, he’s 20 years of age.
“Importantly he has no criminal history of this nature. He’s a first-time offender and first time in jail.’’
“It’s a terrible reality that he has been involved with something like that and they are the most vulnerable and he’s said jail has been a steep learning curve.
“His girlfriend had the contact and he was financially desperate.’’
Ms Lahoud, who said her client had fractured his leg in jail, had only received a “petty’’ few hundred dollars from the syndicate and noted he was determined to finish studying for a business degree if released from jail.
But Magistrate Peter Feather dismissed suggestions he had minimal involvement and said he could not resort to crime because of the pandemic.
“He was the mule,’’ Magistrate Feather said.
“He received a modest amount for doing so. He knew what was going on.
“He did it on multiple occasions, he knew what was going on. If it weren’t for his contact these people wouldn’t be defrauded of money.”
Earlier, police prosecutor Joel Fraser opposed bail, citing Bhattarai, who was only on a student visa as a flight risk and he “he tries to downplay his role, putting most of the blame on his girlfriend’’ but had more involvement than he was “was letting on’’.
Sgt Fraser said “these are rather despicable acts’’ and the community expected protection for the elderly and vulnerable.
The prosecution withdrew six offences for Bhattarai, who is now charged with two counts of obtaining property by deception, five counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage or cause disadvantage by deception and two counts of recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Magistrate Feather said the offence carried a maximum 10 years’ imprisonment.
He told the court Bhattarai should receive a custodial sentence and refused bail.
“It’s absolutely clear from police facts he was fully aware of what was going on.’’
Giri was charged with five counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception and three counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime.
The pair’s matters will return to court on September 30.