An Invercargill man swindled his elderly mother out of $50,000 over three years, including while she was in hospital.
Robert James Mills, 48, pleaded guilty in the Dunedin District Court this week to 38 charges of unlawfully using a document.
Mills was living with his mother from 2020.
A police summary said he did not pay rent, but did maintenance around the property, shopped for groceries and ran errands for his mother.
In February 2020, Mills’ mother let him use her credit card to pay for groceries.
He was also given access to her internet banking accounts to ensure there was always enough money for bills and food.
The woman made it clear to her son that he was not to use the money for anything other than household expenses.
Between March 2020 and April 2023, Mills ignored his 73-year-old mother’s wishes and used her credit card 828 times to buy goods from liquor stores, dairies, takeaway shops and to withdraw cash.
Mills’ offending started small, with only a few transactions a month, but it escalated to him stealing almost daily.
In 2021, the shopping spree continued, even while his mother was in hospital and undergoing rehabilitation after a fall.
After another fall in 2023, she was discharged from rehabilitation, checked her accounts and found them empty.
The woman told her family members and after inquiries with the bank, they found it was Mills who had been draining the accounts.
She immediately cancelled her card and moved in with family to recover from her operation.
In total, $50,873 was taken.
In 2014, Stuff reported Mills threw a lettuce at his mother’s face.
While she did not receive any physical injuries, it did take her by surprise.
On that occasion he was sentenced to supervision.
After pleading guilty to the 38 charges this week, Mills was remanded in custody until his sentencing in June.
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