Christmas Blamed For Credit Fraud
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday December 17, 2003
A MOTHER of five children fraudulently used someone else's debit card to buy a $297 dress, police told Newcastle Court yesterday.
Senior Constable Matthew Moroney said in a statement that Monica Jane Ball had told police that social security payments were her only income.
Ball had said she committed the offence and 11 others of using the card dishonestly to obtain property because of her limited income and because Christmas was approaching.
Ball, 36, of Tully Street, Carrington, was charged with 12 counts of having used another person's Commonwealth Bank MasterCard between November 27 and December 1 to obtain various goods including two barbecues and a lawn mower, to buy food, and to pay power bills.
Senior Constable Moroney said Ball, who had numerous prior fraud convictions, had found a receipt with the MasterCard's details on it at Mayfield.
The offences were discovered when the card's owner had found the card to be overdrawn.
Magistrate Michael Morahan convicted Ball in her absence on each charge and ordered that warrants be issued for her arrest.
© 2003 Newcastle Herald
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