$81,713 offences admitted by woman

Press, 15 January 1986, Page 8

$81,713 offences admitted by woman

A young woman told police, when apprehended for fraud-related offences totalling $81,713.09, that she blamed her spate of offending around New Zealand on her “going off the rails” after the recent death of her infant child. This was said in the District Court yesterday when Jocelyn Helen Boyce, aged 27, unemployed, admitted 69 offences.

They were committed while she travelling round New Zealand between June and December last year, seeking live-in housekeeping positions. At these jobs she stole cheques and credit cards from her employers and used them to obtain items

and money totalling $81,713.09. The items and services obtained by the defendant included clothing, money, cosmetics, accommodation, taxi fares, and three cars, one worth $28,426 and another worth $24,000 which she bought with valueless cheques. Boyce was appearing for sentence for one of the car frauds yesterday, but pleaded guilty to 68 further offences. They comprised false pretence, obtaining credit by fraud, using credit cards for pecuniary advantage, theft, a breach of probation, and breach of periodic detention. The offences were committed at centres through-

out the North Island, and at Dunedin and Timaru. After the charges were pleaded to, Judge Hattaway further remanded Boyce for sentence, this Friday. Detective Sergeant G. E. Scott detailed the circumstances of Boyce’s offending. He said the total amount of property and services obtained totalled $81,713.09, which included three motor vehicles. Items valued at $70,178.06 were recovered, and a sum of $11,535.03 was sought as compensation. Mr Scott said Boyce was completely co-operative and forthcoming when apprehended and said she was relieved that the offending had come to an end.