Woman jailed for using mum’s stolen bank card

A WOMAN had stolen her own mother’s credit card which she used to rip $1800 from the account, Toowoomba Magistrates Court has been told.

Police prosecutor Christie Mahoney told the court the 64-year-old victim had gone to police saying she suspected her daughter Jodie Ann Flint of having taken her credit card.

She told police her daughter had been with her when she last used the card at a Ruthven St store and she suspected her daughter may have seen her use her PIN.

Over a three day period from August 14, Flint had used the card 38 times at various stores and ATMs to either withdraw cash or check the account’s balance, Senior Constable Mahoney said.

The 34-year-old had used the card to withdraw various amounts ranging from $20 to $600, on occasion reaching that day’s credit limit for the card and until the account did not have sufficient funds to cover the withdrawal, she said.

Total loss to the victim was $1809 which had not been reimbursed by the bank and police were asking for that amount in restitution on behalf of the victim, Snr Const. Mahoney submitted.

Flint pleaded guilty to one count of stealing and 38 counts of fraud arising from the credit card offending as well as to an unrelated offence of possessing 0.1g of amphetamine which she had in a small plastic bag tucked in her bra when searched by police on May 4.

Her solicitor Shane MacDonald told the court his client had been with another woman during the offending which had been seen by CCTV camera footage at some of the offence sites.

His client had endured a problem with drugs which began when she was in a violent relationship some years ago and had also lived with some mental health issues, he said.

Magistrate Kay Ryan said each day she sat in court where people addicted to illicit drugs such as amphetamine appeared before her on drug-fuelled offences.

“Persons get hooked on the drug then they steal from anyone to support that habit,” Ms Ryan said.

“It is a despicable drug.” Declaring 13 days Flint had spent in pre-sentence custody as time served under the sentence, Ms Ryan sentenced her to six months in jail but ordered she be released on parole as of October 25 after she had served a third of the term.

Flint was ordered to make full restitution of $1809 to the victim.

Persons get hooked on the drug then they steal from anyone to support that habit. — Magistrate Kay Ryan