Ashpreet Kaur, 23, convicted, banned after stealing from elderly clients to buy luxury goods

A Geelong aged care worker has been convicted in court and banned for 10 years after going on a spending spree with her elderly clients’ cards.

Ashpreet Kaur leaving Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday.

A former aged care worker has been banned for 10 years and has a month to repay thousands of dollars stolen from elderly women to buy luxury goods.

Ashpreet Kaur, 23, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and 11 counts of obtaining property by deception.

She was convicted and ordered to repay more than $7000 stolen during her shopping sprees.

It can also be revealed the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission banned Kaur from being involved in the provision of any type of aged care for 10 years in August.

Kaur was employed as a personal care worker at Charles Brownlow Retirement Village in Highton, until she stopped attending work after the end of February.

The court was told Kaur used the bank card of an 86-year-old resident of the home, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, to make almost $1700 worth of purchases in February.

Kaur used the card to go on an online spending spree at David Jones and Myer, buying cosmetics and a $725 watch, among other items.

All the purchases were delivered to Kaur’s home address, the court heard.

The theft was only discovered when the woman’s daughter opened her mother’s bank statement and noticed suspicious transactions.

Kaur also stole the bank card of a 95-year-old woman, also a resident of the home, to make more than $5000 worth of purchases, including perfumes from Myer, as well as goods from Truly Beauty, Mecca, and the Fashion Outlet in early 2023.

The Corio resident used it for DoorDash and a Myki top-up.

The court heard Kaur stole the 95-year-old woman’s bank card after looking through her drawers searching for a nightie.

The woman became aware of the theft when she went to pay for a haircut.

Police raided Kaur’s home on March 13 and found some of the items, the court was told.

In her initial interview with police Kaur strongly denied any wrongdoing, the court heard, before making some confessions after police showed her the evidence.

Magistrate John Bentley said Kaur’s actions were “as low as it gets”.

“It’s a breach of trust from the most vulnerable members of society,” he said.

“One of the ladies had dementia … (Kaur’s) supposed to be caring for her.

“It’s a gross breach of trust.”

Kaur’s lawyer, Gurpal Singh, told the court Kaur was in Australia on a student visa and had no previous convictions.

Mr Singh presented the court with a psychologist’s report and asked Mr Bentley not to record a conviction.

However, Mr Bentley said it was “much too serious” and said the only reason Kaur was avoiding jail was because she could repay the money, otherwise she would be “locked up”.

“She was buying items of luxury for herself. She knew exactly what she was doing,” he said.

Mr Bentley gave Kaur a month to repay the just over $7000 she spent and ordered her to complete 250 hours of community work as part of a 12-month community corrections order (CCO).

Originally published as Ashpreet Kaur, 23, convicted, banned after stealing from elderly clients to buy luxury goods