A man on parole who used a lost credit card to buy what were effectively groceries, was sent back to jail when he was sentenced in Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday.
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Timothy Harris, aged 27, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of two months for two counts of ‘Dishonestly obtain property by deception’ and ‘Dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception’.
The victim lost his wallet in the Mudgee CBD on the afternoon of June 8, 2017.
At 12.29am the next morning Harris and the co-accused took the victim’s credit card to the BP service station.
He used it to purchase two meat pies and sauces, and mobile phone credit, totaling $40.80.
About 10 minutes later he returned to the location to buy instant coffee, two icecreams, milk and a mobile phone, totaling $87.74.
Shortly before 1am he used it one more time to pay an $11.45 taxi fare.
Harris’ legal-aid solicitor, Derek Buchanan, told the court that his client was always going to be caught, due to CCTV, and that the offences were committed while on parole.
Also the co-accused – who he’s in a relationship with – “gave him the card and told him to do it”.
Magistrate Susan McGowan commented “like Bonnie and Clyde”.
To which Mr Buchanan replied, “though it’s not as glamorous in real life”.
Magistrate McGowan said the offence was “doomed to failure” and “I noted it was not a well planned or sophisticated effort”.
