By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A MAN has used a credit card stolen from a charity volunteer’s handbag for a $5000 top-up of his online gambling account.
The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to theft and proceeds-of-crime offences in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday, having told police he regarded the credit card as “free money”.
Police prosecutor First Constable Tess Davison told the court a St Vincent’s de Paul volunteer had delivered goods to a Hampton Park home on 6 August last year.
Soon after leaving, she realised she’d left behind her $300 handbag containing $50 cash, a mobile phone, rosary and credit card. There was no sign of it at the house when she returned.
The accused admitted to police he had paid his Sportsbet account online using the credit card that afternoon, claiming a friend had delivered him the handbag after “finding it on a letterbox”.
Twenty minutes later, the victim reported the theft to her bank.
First Const Davison told the court that police found the victim’s handbag in the bedroom wardrobe of the accused on 24 September, along with silver jewellery stolen from his sister and two opened Westpac account statements belonging to a third party.
The accused – who was also found at home with a zip-lock bag of cannabis – told police he regretted the theft but had regarded the credit card as “free money”.
Defence lawyer Siva Kandasamy said the accused performed his “opportunistic” crime in order to pay gambling debts.
There was no benefit from the crime as the $5000 and the sister’s jewellery were recovered, Mr Kandasamy said.
Magistrate Barry Schultz said the accused – who had no prior convictions – was entitled to be “cut some slack” on his first time in court.
“It’s not the most sophisticated crime … but these are serious matters. These are people who worked hard for their things.
“As you must know, we all have to work hard for what we get in life.
“There are no shortcuts.”
The man was fined $1200 without conviction.
