$2200 taken from friend

A man who watched his friend enter her number at a shop checkout later swiped the debit card and helped himself to more than $2000 in cash.

Matthew Michael Paul Holmes, 22, went shopping with the woman about 7.30pm on March 10, and stood closely behind her as she used the eftpos machine, a police summary of facts said. Then the pair went to Holmes’ house and when the woman left her handbag unattended, Holmes stole her debit card.

After the woman left, Holmes withdrew $800 from a cash machine. Shortly after, he returned to withdraw $1000 and the next day he withdrew $400.

The woman noticed she was missing $2200 from her account and notified police, saying she suspected Holmes as he had watched her enter her number.

At first Holmes denied any involvement but later admitted taking and using the debit card, although he claimed he did not remember all the transactions as he was very drunk at the time.

Holmes would not say what he spent the money on. He admitted four counts of taking and using a document for pecuniary advantage, at the Blenheim District Court on Monday.

His lawyer, Alan Heward, said his client was on a sickness benefit and awaiting a hip operation so he could not do community work. He had no previous charges of this kind although there were convictions indicating a substance abuse problem, which he was now in counselling for, Heward said. He was already paying off fines at $25 a week out of his benefit payments, but was prepared to pay extra each week so the woman could be repaid, Heward said.

Judge David Ruth convicted Holmes and fined him $200, and ordered him to pay the woman back in weekly instalments.