Lawyer points finger at casino in bank worker's $7m theft
By Jamie Berry
Crown Casino should accept responsibility for a bank employee spending vast sums of money she stole from her employer to fund her gambling addiction, a court has heard.
Duncan Allen, SC, said in the County Court yesterday the State Government must also bear some responsibility for the fate of his client, Kate Jamieson.
Jamieson stole $7.3 million from the Bendigo Bank's Preston branch, where she worked as a customer relations supervisor and poured more than $20 million through the casino over four years.
"The state-sponsored system had fostered, encouraged and seduced this woman into this addiction . . . nothing was done about it," Mr Allen said, accusing the casino of turning "a blind eye" as to how she funded her gaming activities. "They accept no responsibility at all."
Jamieson, 39, of Lalor, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and 23 counts of theft between July 2001 and May 2004.
Kevin Armstrong, prosecuting, said the total amount obtained by Jamieson was $7.3 million. The casino's records said she lost more than $1.5 million.
Jamieson created false identities to create false accounts so she could withdraw the cash. She also used the bank's computer system illegally, using other workers' passwords to log on while they took breaks.
Jamieson also stole money from the account of a woman who was a known gambler, the court heard.
Bendigo Bank staff later identified 4000 transactions in which Jamieson moved more than $22 million between several accounts.
In a victim impact statement, the bank said Jamieson's thefts had "a huge impact" on the organisation's standing in the community. She had made no offer to pay back the money, it said.
Jamieson's gambling at the casino increased year after year. Mr Allen said she lost $19,000 at the casino in 2001, an average of $291 for every hour she was there.
In 2003, Jamieson lost $857,956 at the casino at an average of $2014 for every hour she was there. She lost $508,000 in five months in 2004.
"Her extraordinary compulsive gambling was evidenced by statistics kept by Crown Casino," Mr Allen said.
While the casino made her a VIP, showering her with free accommodation, meals and travel, they did not have any records of Jamieson's employment despite having other personal information, the court heard.
"There's one question they don't ask: 'What is your job?' To see the losses mount to astronomical levels . . . and to not ask a question as to what is going on, why did they turn a blind eye to that?" Mr Allen said.
Jamieson changed her name from Leane Nikolovski by deed poll. "She did that in order to protect her children from the media attention," Mr Allen said.
Forensic psychologist Ian Joblin wrote that Jamieson's serious addiction was "beyond her conscious control".
The pre-sentence hearing, before Judge Roland Williams, continues today. |
