Bingo thief’s downfall

A NORTH Queensland woman who has been crippled by debt after swiping more than $6000 from a Returned Services League (RSL) of Australia Club has been given time to pay back the stolen money before she is convicted and sentenced.

Appearing in Ingham Magistrates Court, former Herbert River RSL sub-branch administration officer Christine Wazana George, 53, pleaded guilty to stealing $6364 from bingo evenings between December 2017 and February 2019.

Defence lawyer Solitaire Zahnleiter told the court her client, a once respected community member, was in debt to the tune of $16,000 since losing her job of more than five years and was now too embarrassed to leave home.

George ran from the courthouse and sped off in her car after her sentencing to avoid having her picture taken by the media photographers.

Police prosecutor Subarna Raut told the court that George had paid back just $100 of the total sum stolen from the club.

George, who has no previous convictions, was a trusted member of staff and her betrayal had a severe emotional impact on the club manager, a source at the RSL said.

Mr Raut outlined the facts of the thefts by the employee, who manipulated accounting software to hide her crime.

She was busted during a regular audit and confessed to her crimes, he said.

Ms Zahnleiter said George, who has no children and lives alone, had always held a job.

“Now she is essentially in debt, dealing with severe hardship, she has debts such as, not only can’t she pay her rent, but has several small loans that she now owes, as well as car repayments.”

The debts, including the $6264 sought in reparation by the RSL, totalled more than $16,000, she told the court.

Ms Zahnleiter said her client was seeking an advance payment of her superannuation entitlement to pay back both her debtors and the RSL but that process could not be completed until October.

“Your honour, she instructs that she made a large error of judgment, this is out of character for her … as a result she has lost her friends that she had gained, she now feels that she can’t leave her house because she is so embarrassed by her actions in a small community.”

Magistrate Peter Smid, who commented that George had “very nice references”, said George would be in a much better position if she had paid back the embezzled funds.

He enlarged bail until November 14 to allow her the opportunity to do so.