A Tasmanian man has been sentenced for defrauding his mother out of more than $13,000 after she placed her trust in him to set up her online banking.
James Michael Sowell pleaded guilty to 75 counts of using a computer with the intent to defraud, one count of forgery and one count of uttering in the Launceston Magistrates Court after stealing $13,235 between December 2022 and February 2023.
The court heard how is mother has asked him to create an online bank account, but instead, he memorised her password and moved the money to his own account.
The money, $12,549 of which has since been repaid, was used to pay for Sowell’s methylamphetamine habit and online gambling debts.
The court found the offenses to be a significant breach of trust and involved substantial dishonesty.
Magistrate Ken Stanton fined Sowell $2,000 and sentenced him to 10 weeks in jail, which was wholly suspended for 18 months.
