Caregiver stole to buy presents for Xmas

Pizza shop robbed

A home caregiver who stole cash and jewellery from the people she was looking after says she did so because had no money for Christmas presents and was desperate.

Hamilton woman Tania Rae Chapman, 44, was sentenced to supervision and community work when she appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday.

She had earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of theft, relating to incidents in the homes of two of the people she stole from in December last year.

One of the victims was 90 years old, while the other had suffered an injury and was receiving an ACC benefit.

The first recorded event, on December 19 in the Ruakura Rd house of one of the victims, happened when she was cleaning the man’s bedroom and removed a wallet from a pair of his trousers.

Inside the wallet was $1000 in cash, which she pocketed.

The second theft happened sometime between December 10 and 20, while Chapman was cleaning the bedroom of that victim’s house in Bolmuir Rd.

She took a wallet from a dressing table drawer and removed $440 in cash from it. She also nabbed a watch valued at $300 from inside the drawer, and a $1260 Pandora bracelet from a jewellery box on top of the dresser.

The two victims approached Chapman’s employers, and they in turn confronted her. After initially denying the thefts, she confessed and was subsequently sacked.

She told the police she was stressed, she had no money for Christmas presents and she was desperate.

The charges against her were not laid in court until June this year.

Chapman’s counsel James Buckle said the cash she had stolen had been paid back in full.

She had attended a restorative justice conference with one of her victims, at which she apologised and, Buckle said, this apology had been accepted.

Buckle also referred to a presentence report, which found that she had acknowledged her offending, realised she had abused a position of trust, and was very remorseful.

Chapman was now unemployed and struggling to find work.

Reparation of $300, represen- ting an insurance excess, was sought by one of the victims.

Judge Simon Menzies noted that Chapman had a handful of dishonesty convictions, but these were more than a decade ago and for low-level offending such as shoplifting.

He also referred to her explanation for her offending and realised that she was struggling financially.

She was also suffering from health issues.

Chapman had voluntarily engaged in counselling, and she deserved credit for her willingness to participate in the restorative justice process.

‘‘You fronted up and expressed your regret. It ended on as positive a note as that sort of thing can end.’’

Judge Menzies sentenced Chapman to 12 months of supervision and 80 hours’ community work.

‘‘You need to have a good support structure around you,’’ he told her.

Although the police summary of facts does not reveal Chapman’s employer, her online profile on the LinkedIn website states she worked for Access Community Health.

Speaking

after

yesterday’s sentencing, Access Community Health chief executive Simon Lipscombe said he was unable to comment, other than to confirm Chapman had been – but now was no longer – employed by his organisation.

‘‘We take any allegations of improper behaviour very seriously.’’

Lipscombe likewise would not be drawn on questions about how much Chapman and other caregivers are paid.

‘‘I can’t comment on individual employment conditions and I can’t comment on individual personal circumstances.’’ Pizza workers were confronted by a gun-wielding robber who stormed a Domino’s outlet during a dinner time rush. The man also ran through the scattering of customers awaiting their pizza orders at the Hamilton fast food outlet on Tuesday night. Around 8.20pm, the lone gunman ran into the store in a block of shops off Ohaupo Rd in Melville, Waikato police Senior Sergeant Phil Ruddell said. ’’Staff and members of the public that were present weren’t hurt during the robbery,’’ he said. Ruddell said the gun- wielding robber grabbed the till before fleeing out of the Urlich Shopping Centre restaurant. Early reports suggested the man left in a silver sedan. If anyone witnessed the event call Hamilton police on 07 858 6200 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.