A judge struggled with what to do about scammer and shoplifter Reiana Janine Hilton, and decided in the end that supervision, counselling, and a job were the answer.
Hilton, a 36-year-old mother, was ordered by Christchurch District Court Judge Jane Farish to pay $3500 back to the shops she raided.
But she will not have to repay the money scammed from elderly victims – including one 95-year-old woman – when she was part of a ring of offenders that eventually extracted about $270,000 from bank accounts.
Hilton was involved in about $34,000 worth of that, but would have received only a small part of it. The banks are the victims, after repaying the customers who were scammed.
Most of the scam proceeds went to the more serious offenders, and they have now mostly gone to jail.
Hilton was appearing for sentencing – after many reports and delays – on seven charges of shoplifting, and fraud.
Defence counsel Karen Feltham said Hilton accepted that she had “allowed herself to be used” by those running the scam ring.
The scheme involved phoning elderly victims to tell them some bill payments had not gone through because of some fault with their bank card. Under pressure from threats of services being cut off, victims would disclose bank account details and then a “bank official” would call around to replace their bank card.
The new card was actually a Pressie card, and while that was being sorted out the scammers would be emptying their bank accounts.
Hilton, who had drug issues, has had two children taken away into care.
She was on home detention on other matters but then a drug test led to Community Probation prosecuting her for using an illicit substance. Hilton maintained she was trying to get straight, and had not taken any drugs.
When Judge Farish convened a hearing to get to the bottom of it, probation withdrew the charge and accepted that they “could have handled the matter differently”.
Some tests apparently show drugs that have stayed in the body for a long time.
In the meantime, Hilton had done what she sometimes does when she is feeling stressed and self-destructive – she went on a shoplifting spree. She has been shoplifting since she was aged 19, and she has 54 convictions.
Judge Farish said she came into court for Hilton’s sentencing not know what to do with her, and Hilton stood crying in the dock at times while the judge talked through the issues, including a possible jail term.
The judge noted the distress Hilton had suffered when she lost the care of her two youngest children.
She decided to place Hilton on intensive supervision for the maximum two years’ term, and she will monitor her progress by getting regular reports.
She also ordered that Hilton undergo counselling by a departmental psychologist, and be referred to Community Probation’s employment section for any training needed to get her a job. She will also have to do a course for managing conflict in relationships, and she will be encouraged into recreational activities to develop social supports.
She will also have to pay the $3500 reparations.
She thanked the judge as she left the dock.
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