Luca Bardella: Ex Blue Angel chef stole $9k to buy cocaine
He was once executive chef at one of Sydney’s top restaurants. But Luca Bardella has now faced court after stealing $9000 from an elderly woman to fund his drug habit.
Wentworth Courier
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A former top Sydney chef stole $9000 from an elderly woman he worked for in Rose Bay partly to support his cocaine addiction, a court has heard.
Luca Bardella, 45, from Woollahra, is the former executive chef at popular Italian seafood restaurant Blue Angel in Darlinghurst.
Court documents detailed his drastic fall from grace, which saw him steal $9000 from an elderly woman he was working for and living with in Rose Bay during February and March last year.
The agreed facts stated he had known the victim “for some time” and was in a position of trust both with her and her grandson.
He was hired to do work for the victim following his former employment as a chef.
Waverley Local Court heard, during his sentence on Wednesday, that he had been struggling with cocaine use and needed money.
“The victim hired the accused to walk her dogs as well as do some odd jobs around her house,” the agreed facts stated.
Bardella became aware of the victim’s pin number and, over the space of five weeks, made 10 fraudulent withdrawals at an ATM in Rose Bay.
The agreed facts stated he would take the victim’s bank card out of her wallet, make a withdrawal, then put the bank card back in her wallet. The withdrawals ranged from $600 to $1000 and totalled $9000.
The victim’s grandson contacted her bank about the odd withdrawals, which were all captured on CCTV, which led to Bardella admitting to stealing the money.
He was later charged by police and has since pleaded guilty to all 10 offences.
Magistrate Ross Hudson slammed him for his actions and sentenced him to a 12 month community correction order with supervision, fined him $500, ordered he complete 120 hours community service work, and complete drug and alcohol counselling.
“Everyone in life has had that situation where it just all looks too good and that is when your good character should kick in and say no.”
He said the victim invited Bardella into her home and life and he had abused her trust.
He also said as long as he continued using cocaine he would continue to find himself in a difficult financial position.
The court heard Bardella had since approached the victim and offered to repay the debt.