Social worker stole to pay gambling debts

Press, 30 August 1984, Page 6

Social worker stole to pay gambling debts

PA Auckland An Oakley Hospital social worker stole thousands of dollars from psychiatric patients to pay gambling debts, the District Court at Auckland heard. Judge Blackwood refused bail for Kenneth Edward Berghan, aged 35, of Te Atatu South, and remanded him in custody to September 5 for a report and sentence. Berghan pleaded guilty to four charges of theft and two of forging a cheque. He also admitted a charge of causing the manager of the Avondale Bank of New Zealand to act on a forged letter from the Social Welfare Department. Berghan further admitted two charges of fake pretence. Sergeant Peter Hawke said Berghan was employed by the Auckland Hospital Board as a social worker at Oakley Psychiatric hospital, handling patients’ personal affairs. In February a patient’s car was slightly damaged in an accident. Berghan became the patient’s social worker and visited the patient’s home to help with his personal affairs. Berghan sold the car to a car wrecker for $3OO. He cashed the cheque for himself and had no authorisa-

tion to sell the car. In April, Berghan went to see the patient, who was released from hospital. He said he could get the car repaired and obtained $6OO from the patient About three weeks later Berghan told the patient he needed another $5O for repairs, which the patient gave him. Berghan also took two cheques from the patient’s cheque book, for $420 and $250 and was going to use the money but changed his mind and cancelled the cheques.

Compensation of $2750 was asked for in relation to this patient. On September 13, Ber-

ghan spoke to the grandmother of the patient. She gave him a $lOOO cheque to be paid to the Public Trust Office for the patient’s credit. Berghan used the money himself. In early May, he obtained a Social Welfare Department letterhead and wrote a letter to the manager of the Avondale BNZ. He said that Mr Berghan, a social worker, had been appointed agent for 10 patients and Social Welfare payments would be directcredited to his account He signed the letter lan Johnson, and the bank manager advanced him $15,000. The letter was later discovered to be false and Berghan

repaid the bank. Berghan told another patient he could invest savings at a higher rate of interest, and the patient gave him $2OOO. In August, Berghan used a $216 refund from a boarding house for himself. It was to be paid to Carrington Hospital as a patient had returned there. Berghan told police he stole the money to pay his debts from heavy gambling. He said he was very sorry and was prepared to reimburse everyone. The Judge said custody was the only answer for someone who abused the trust of people who needed it.