Finn Davidson, 26, was supposed to be caring for his four elderly victims in the orthopaedic and surgical-specialties ward but yesterday the Dunedin District Court heard details of how he swiped their bank cards and spent up while they were confined to their hospital beds and sometimes after they had been discharged.
He even continued the crime spree days after being interviewed by police.
One of the victims, a 79-year-old Kaka Point woman who had been admitted to the hospital with a heart condition, called Davidson "a mongrel".
"It’s all a blur, the whole damn thing," she told the Otago Daily Times.
Davidson’s dishonesty began in May last year when he stole the wallet of a 75-year-old patient on his ward.
Using the paywave function, he racked up a debt of $1274 over a couple of weeks.
Davidson, who became a registered nurse just months earlier, targeted his next victim, an 89-year-old man, a few days later, fleecing him of $230.
When the victim informed the defendant his wallet was missing, he encouraged him to report the matter to police.
It was to become a running theme through the crime spree, as Davidson posed as a concerned professional.
On August 31, officers confronted him and he admitted the theft of the cards.
At that stage, the possibility of an alternative resolution through Te Pae Oraka was discussed.
Akin to police diversion, it would have allowed Davidson to make amends for his acts and avoid a conviction.
But only two days after the interview, he embarked on his most significant fraud yet.
Davidson used the credit card of the Kaka Point woman repeatedly between September and January, accruing debts to the tune of $19,952.
During that same period he struck again, ripping a 67-year-old off for $383.
On New Year’s Eve last year, Davidson put a note on the patient’s file saying the man was worried about the security of his wallet.
The defendant offered to lock it up and "advised the patient to keep the wallet safe".
Judge Dominic Flatley called it "a deceit of the highest level".
"You used your position of power to exploit these vulnerable victims. You manipulated the victims into thinking they’d lost their credit cards.
"You thought about it, you planned how it would work ... and you told stories to avoid detection."
Davidson said he had gambling debts but claimed he used his own money to fund that habit rather than the stolen cash.
The judge said he appeared to be "in denial".
Counsel Cate Andersen argued against imprisonment and Judge Flatley agreed it was important Davidson continued to work, for his own mental health as well as to ensure he repaid his victims.
The nature of his work was not discussed in court but Te Whatu Ora responded to inquiries from the ODT: "we are unable to comment on matters relating to former employees".
All questions regarding how Davidson was allowed to remain in his role as a nurse, and continue offending, after admitting his fraud to police, went unanswered.
On a charge of using a document for a pecuniary advantage, he was sentenced to six months’ community detention, 300 hours’ community work, 12 months’ intensive supervision and ordered to pay reparation of $21,840.
While he did not seek name suppression, a third party applied to have his identity kept secret because of the potential hardship it would cause them.
Judge Flatley declined the application, saying it fell well short of meeting the required threshold.
According to the Nursing Council’s database, Davidson’s registration is due to lapse this month.
