Darlene Elizabeth Shanks drained disabled veteran’s accounts of $130k

A Queensland woman who stole $130,000 from a disabled veteran told his son she didn’t care when her fraud was finally exposed. FULL DETAILS

Darlene Elizabeth Shanks leaves Hervey Bay District Court on August 28, 2023

A Hervey woman who stole $130,000 from a disabled veteran while she was his carer told him she didn’t care and that he was a ‘greedy man’ when her fraud was finally exposed.

Darlene Elizabeth Shanks, 52, of Urraween, pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud of a value of $100,000 of which was also a domestic violence offence in Hervey Bay District on Friday morning.

After her mother died in early 2019, Shanks became the sole carer of the victim, her mum’s husband of 38 years and Shanks’ stepfather.

Shortly after becoming carer for which she was paid $848 from Centrelink, she moved in with the victim along with two of her nine children.

In addition to the Centrelink money, the victim gave Shanks $200 every fortnight.

To further accommodate them, the victim sold his property in Point Vernon to move into a bigger house with Shanks and her family, the court was told.

As his carer, Shanks had exclusive access to his bank accounts, including his online accounts which he did not know how to operate.

As well as his pension the court heard the victim received $100,000 compensation from the Australian Defence Force fund.

With control of his bank accounts and credit cards over two and half years she emptied the victims’ bank accounts in 351 fraudulent transactions.

The most severe case saw the victims’ Commonwealth Bank account once containing $100,000 emptied to the point it was overdrawn by $100.

It was only in December 2021 when the victim and his biological son found out about Shanks’ scheme her spending spree came to an end

Before contacting the police, the victim’ biological son called Shanks about it to which she responded “I know you know, I do not care, it has gone to people more deserving than a greedy man.’’

‘In the future, if you want to f**k somebody over you have to be smarter about it,’’ she told him.

She was arrested and charged in December 2021.

Crown Prosecutor Katrina Overell said: “For two and half years she breached the trust of a vulnerable person in our community.”

“The punishment must act to dissuade others, prison is an option.”

With Shanks only working as a cleaner before becoming the victim’s carer “there’s no possibility of the money being repaid”, Ms Overell told the court.

Defence lawyer Allan Davie said Shanks’ behaviour “was a combination of stresses caused by her methamphetamine use and her mother’s death”.

She said Shanks had “made no attempt to cover up and conceal the extensive fraud which had taken place” and she had “co-operated in the administration of justice”.

Judge Nicholas Andreatidis told Shanks “you defrauded a vulnerable member of our community” and “when the opportunity came to get into contact with a sizeable amount of money you stole from him”.

Judge Andreatidis sentenced Shanks to five years imprisonment, of which she must serve at least 18 months before she is eligible for parole.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Darlene Elizabeth Shanks drained disabled veteran’s accounts of $130k