Man spared jail after ripping off mum
A man who siphoned $12,000 from his elderly mother over five months has been spared jail - by arriving in court with a $12,000 cheque.
That and his guilty plea was enough to spare Julian Charles Claasen Kemple, 44, a prison sentence.
A police summary of facts said Claasen Kemple made $12,000 worth of withdrawals and transactions from his mother’s bank accounts between October 2015 and February 2016, something Judge Denys Barry described as a "saga of dishonesty".
The victim, Rosemary Claasen, was elderly and sought Claasen Kemple’s assistance from time to time with her banking.
As such, Claasen Kemple was privy to her eftpos card, credit card and personal identification number (PIN).
Judge Barry said at the Blenheim District Court on Tuesday the amount taken was significant and a victim impact statement from the 75-year-old mother showed the emotional impact of the theft. ‘‘The statement makes it clear that she’s been left reeling from the deceit. She has been hurt both financially and from a breach of trust," he said.
Rosemary Claasen noticed bank transactions that she was not responsible for and contacted police in February 2016, the summary said.
When spoken to by police, Claasen Kemple admitted he had accessed his mother’s bank accounts but claimed it was payment for renovations he had made to her home. Judge Barry said the victim impact statement described Rosemary Claasen as a woman of modest means who had been seriously impacted by the actions of her son.
Along with a guilty plea, Claasen Kemple handed over a cheque for $12,000 to the court.
The lump sum payment and guilty plea played into the court’s sentence, Judge Barry said.
"I accept there is certainly regret that this situation has emerged," he said.
"People can now get on with their lives without being further tainted by a trial.
"Most importantly, Mr Claasen Kemple has saved his mum from appearing in a court room full of strangers."
Claasen Kemple was sentenced to 150 hours of community work on top of repaying the $12,000 in reparation.
Judge Barry noted in court Claasen Kemple had a criminal history spanning 20 convictions from 1991 to 2006. It had been more than 10 years since the defendant was before the courts and his criminal history was not relevant to the sentence, Judge Barry said.
Name suppression in the case was lifted following sentencing.