Rich retiree gambler who stole cash from pokie player’s wallet at Rye RSL caught out by CCTV
A ‘RICH’ Rye retiree ripped off a fellow pokies player, stealing cash from his wallet to fund a gambling addiction.
South East
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A ‘RICH’ Rye retiree ripped off a fellow pokies player by stealing his wallet to fund his gambling addiction, a court has heard.
Neville John Hazeldine pleaded guilty to a charge of theft at Dromana Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The court heard he had been playing the pokies at Rye RSL at around 2pm on January 30 this year.
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A man playing a machine alongside Hazeldine got up, and unbeknown to him, his wallet dropped on the floor.
When he walked away, Hazeldine picked it up, took cash out and went to play another device away from the scene of the crime.
Once he had lost all of the other man’s money, he left the venue.
All of this was captured on CCTV.
The victim later contacted police about his stolen money and when they viewed the club’s footage, it became obvious what Hazeldine had done.
He was spoken to by officers, and admitted he had picked up the wallet and spent the cash, saying he “plays too much pokies”.
He said he saw the wallet, took the money and put the cash in the machines, but didn’t know how much was in there.
In court the retiree represented himself, saying he didn’t want legal advice.
He said he was sorry for what he had done, and he “was not that bad a person”, before handing up references.
Magistrate Brian Clifford said the references not only outlined Hazeldine was normally a well-respected member of the community, but also that he wasn’t short of a dollar.
“It is obvious you have significant finances,” Mr Clifford said.
“I can’t understand how someone with your finances would be so uncharitable as to take money from this man.
“It is most dishonest and unacceptable behaviour.”
Hazeldine was convicted, fined $1000 and ordered to repay the $800 to the victim.