$124k theft for gambling addiction

A Porirua woman stole more than $120,000 from a local primary school to fund a gambling problem.

Hikunga-Ariki Aporo, 46, worked as an accounts administrator at Ma¯ ori language school Te Kura Ma¯ori o Porirua from 2009 until last year.

Between October 2015 and November 2017, Aporo used the school’s online banking system to set up payments from an IT company into her own bank account.

She stole a total of $124,765. Aporo appeared in Porirua District Court yesterday on one charge of directly accessing a computer system to dishonestly obtain a pecuniary advantage.

She was sentenced to eight months’ home detention and ordered to pay $2000 in reparation, through weekly $20 payments.

She was also ordered to complete a counselling programme for her gambling addiction, and could not seek employment, either paid or voluntary, without her probation officer’s approval.

In sentencing, Judge Sanjay Patel said the crime was committed against an educational facility, which had a benefit to the wider community, and a ‘‘significant’’ sum of money was taken.

The offending was not overly sophisticated but did involved a significant breach of trust.

Aporo had previous convictions for theft in 1997, and obtaining by false pretences in 2001. She had previously sought help for addiction.

‘‘However, the problem clearly seems to have raised its head again, and has been a significant contributing factor to the current offending,’’ Patel said.

Patel noted Aporo had sought counselling and was generally a positive influence in the community. ‘‘You have references provided by large number of people.

Aporo had taken responsibility for her offending and was remorseful, Patel said, but her guilty plea was entered several months after the charges were laid.