Ex-WAG, model Arabella Del Busso asks to delay hearing to defend stealing allegations
A former reality TV star turned amateur celebrity boxer has pleaded with the court to delay her hearing over allegations she stole more than $50K from her employer.
St George Shire Standard
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A magistrate has dismissed the plea from a lingerie model and a former NRL WAG to have her hearing date changed as she cannot afford a lawyer to defend allegations she stole more than $50,000 from her former employer.
Reality TV star-turned-amateur celebrity boxer Arabella Del Busso has been charged with two counts of stealing property from her employer following a lengthy investigation.
Del Busso appeared via video link from overseas and represented herself in Sutherland Local Court on Friday where she applied to vacate her hearing date of February 10.
She told the court she previously had legal representation but due to Covid-related delays in the court process, she had not been able to retain her lawyer and could not afford a new one for the hearing.
She asked the court for a future court date so she could defend the allegations with a lawyer.
The court heard the now 32-year-old allegedly stole $35,785 from Rheumatology Specialist Care in Kogarah – which is now known as Integrated Specialist Medical Care – between September 2019 and February 2020 when she was a receptionist.
Police will further allege Del Busso stole $16,565 from the clinic’s Randwick location over the same period.
Del Busso, through a lawyer, previously entered pleas of not guilty to both counts.
The Melbourne resident told the court she had been overseas for three months and would not be returning until May. She said had gained new employment and she needed to work to earn funds to pay for a new legal team.
“I am asking for time to make more funds to have legal representation,” Del Busso said.
“I don’t feel comfortable coming to court without a legal team.”
Del Busso also claimed she was not made aware of the hearing date until November, despite it being set down in April last year by her lawyer.
The police prosecutor opposed vacating the hearing date noting Del Busso had chosen to go overseas after the hearing date had been set for months.
He also said there had been “numerous opportunities” prior to Friday where she could have gotten a lawyer.
The prosecutor said 10 witnesses would have made arrangements to attend court next Friday, with the hearing scheduled to take one day and noted a future hearing date would mean the matter would be listed more than two years after Del Busso was charged.
The court heard Del Busso’s previous hearing date had also been vacated due to the court being unavailable.
Magistrate Hugh Donnelly said the allegations against Del Busso were “serious” and if convicted, a jail term could be imposed.
He said Del Busso did have a lawyer acting on her behalf when the hearing date was set.
Mr Donnelly took into account that Del Busso did not currently have legal representation but said it did not outweigh the need for the case to proceed because it was in the public interest.
He said vacating the hearing date would cause “undue delay” and determined it would proceed on February 10.
Del Busso struck fame during her high-profile relationship with former NRL player Josh Reynolds and she became embroiled in scandal when she feigned three miscarriages while dating him.
In October 2020, Del Busso appeared on reality show SAS Australia but sensationally walked out after attempting to explain the lies she told Reynolds.
She has since taken up boxing and won her first bout. Del Busso is not subject to any bail conditions.
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