A 26-YEAR-OLD Orange man who used stolen credit cards to go on a massive spending spree in Orange and Bathurst will have to carry out 100 hours of community service following his appearance in Bathurst Local Court on Monday.
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Gavin Pratt, of Algona Crescent, Orange, pleaded guilty to stealing a men’s wallet and contents valued at $100, including a Westpac credit card and a Greater Building Society credit card, on October 24, 2011.
What followed was a spending spree to the value of more than $6600.
Police allege that at around 11.30am Pratt and a co-accused parked next to a ute outside the Probation and Parole Service in Orange. A short time later the victim returned and found his wallet missing.
Throughout the day Pratt spent $915.09 on cigarettes and alcohol, $1537 on remote control cars, $180 on a tricycle, almost $1000 on sporting goods and $848.90 on clothes. Pratt also obtained an iPad valued at $894.
In addition he was charged with stating he was the credit card holder with the intent of obtaining $5400 worth of jewellery and $757.86 worth of electrical items.
Westpac was left seeking $4297.32 compensation and the Greater Building Society $1174.78.
The purchases were made in both Bathurst and Orange throughout the day.
Bathurst Local Court was told the accused had been involved in an argument with the mother of his children a day earlier and spent all his money at the pub getting drunk, which left him with no money for expenses.
“He found the wallet while he was still intoxicated,” his solicitor Mr Walsh said.
Magistrate Jan Stevenson reminded Mr Walsh that Mr Pratt “found” the wallet inside a ute which the accused had parked alongside.
Mr Walsh outlined the accused’s lack of education and inability to read or write, saying it left him with few options.
He has three children, aged five, two-and-a-half months, and nine weeks old, with responsibility for raising the oldest.
“He admits it was a pretty stupid idea but the alcohol took over,” Mr Walsh said. “He hasn’t touched alcohol since.”
Ms Stevenson said the accused knew the difference between right and wrong.
She ordered him to complete 100 hours community service for stealing the wallet, with nine month good behaviour bonds for all other matters.
“There is a nine month jail sentence sitting on your shoulder,” she told him.
“This is your chance,” she said.
She ordered him to pay compensation of $2147 to Westpac and $588 to the Greater Building Society.
