'Helper' helps herself to $17,000 | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

A Featherston woman who took $17,000 from a friend in the throes of chronic alcoholism has been convicted of fraud.

Beneficiary and mother-of-three Marino Renee Hiha, 30, seemed confused when she appeared in the Masterton District Court on Thursday - walking from the dock, then returning, as the hearing proceeded. She had pleaded guilty. The court was told Hiha had been helping the middle-aged woman, who was "unable to fend for herself", with shopping and transport as the woman battled alcoholism.

In July 2007 she had been entrusted with the PIN for the woman's Eftpos card - soon discovering a balance of more than $17,000.

After shopping for the victim Hiha had kept the card, substituting it with her own similar card to cover up the swap.

Over the next couple of weeks Hiha had drained $17,596 from the account.

She had later told police she knew she had done wrong "but felt the money would be better spent on her and her children".

Police investigations had begun when concerned relatives noticed irregularities in the woman's bank statements.

Featherston police Sergeant Kevin Basher said Hiha was arrested in August when the victim's alcoholism had improved to the point where she could piece together events.

On August 13 Hiha had gone to visit the woman, who had told her she knew what she had done.

Hiha had then thrown the victim's Eftpos card away.

Judge Jan Kelly described the fraud as "awful offending on a vulnerable woman" and convicted Hiha on a representative charge of dishonestly taking/using a document for pecuniary advantage.

Reparation is being sought and Hiha was remanded at large and will appear in court again for sentencing in December.