Basketball star dragged into case against alleged serial conwoman
Australian basketballer Tom Jervis and his wife Jazze, will be among six witnesses who will be called to give evidence in the “unique and complex’ case against alleged serial conwoman Samantha Azzopardi.
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A national basketball star will be among witnesses called to give evidence in the “unique and complex” case of alleged serial conwoman Samantha Azzopardi.
Ms Azzopardi has vowed to fight more than 50 charges including multiple counts of child stealing, but will have to wait until March next year to have her day in court.
At a brief committal mention on Monday, the court heard six witnesses would be called to give evidence at the contested committal in 2021.
Australian basketballer Tom Jervis and his wife Jazze, will be among those called to testify from Queensland.
The couple had employed Ms Azzopardi as an au pair who went by the name Harper Hernandez when they were living in Melbourne between December 2018 and June 2019.
Ms Azzopardi, also known by her aliases of Marley and a nurse named Sakah, faces 54 charges relating to four families and five children she allegedly deceived.
The 32-year-old was arrested with two girls, aged 10 months and four years, in Bendigo on November 1 last year.
Ms Azzopardi faces multiple charges of identity theft and dishonestly obtaining $250 a week while working as a nanny for the Jervis’.
She is also accused of posing as a “talent scout” and taking a child interstate to locations including Brisbane Centrelink where she told the child to “pretend to be someone else”.
Magistrate Donna Bakos said while the narrative of Ms Azzopardi’s was extensive, the issue to be examined by defence is very narrow. “There is clearly fraud, but (defence) seek to explore the effect of the falsity on the decisions of the families,” Ms Bakos said.
Ms Azzopardi’s lawyers told the court the case was a “unique and complex matter”.
She will face a one and a half day committal on March 30.