Personality stole from employers

A REALITY television personality has pleaded guilty to stealing from her employers.

The 31yearold woman, who has been granted name suppression, admitted theft by a person in a special relationship and two charges of altering a document with intent to defraud, in a district court yesterday.

The suppression order means the Otago Daily

Times is unable to report where the offending took place, the reality show the woman took part in or where she appeared in court.

The summary of facts states during her employment she was in possession of a credit card which was in her manager's name.

She was also responsible for reconciling the card and providing supporting documentation to the company's finance department.

At the same time, she was also treasurer of another organisation, the summary says.

Between December 2019 and December 2020, the defendant used the card to pay for tickets to events, a flight, to purchase personal items, a personal photo shoot and to pay for bills that were in the name of the organisation of which she was treasurer.

When she was caught, the woman admitted the offending, saying she had not received adequate training in her job, it was a mistake she had succumbed to social pressures to pay for events and she intended on paying the money back.

When challenged, the defendant admitted she wanted to appear as a hero to her friends and enjoyed the social pleasures of being able to go to social functions and buy drinks for her associates.

She knew the credit card was an unlimited fund of money and she had continued to offend, as she had not been caught after the first reported incident.

While at the time of offending she had no intention of paying the money back, she would now like the opportunity to do so, her lawyer said.

Her lawyer indicated the woman intended to apply for a discharge without conviction at sentencing on May 31.