A woman who was supposed to be looking after someone in poor health swindled more than $8000 from the person within weeks, a court has heard.
But Charmaine Alishia Turner Perawiti was not begging for forgiveness.
She told Probation before her Dunedin District Court sentencing this week that despite pleading guilty to using a document for a pecuniary advantage, she did not accept responsibility and was ``annoyed at having to pay back the money''.
Judge Kevin Phillips called the 34-year-old Dunedin solo mother ``thoroughly dishonest'' and he took issue with her smiling through his sentencing remarks.
``Your attitude in the dock does not impress me at all,'' he said.
Perawiti had been enlisted to help the victim around the house but instead helped herself to the person's bank card.
Between September 24 and October 16 last year she made 31 transactions, 14 of which were payments to a gambling website.
The defendant claimed not to have a gambling problem but the judge said that was laughable.
Initially, Perawiti said she had taken the funds at the request of the victim's son, then claimed her brother had been given access to the cash by the victim.
Judge Phillips said the defendant had been caught out by her lies and the victim had been very clear they had given no-one permission to use the account and had not disclosed the pin number.
Perawiti deserved a sentence of imprisonment, the judge said, but the circumstances were not serious enough to send her there.
She was sentenced to five months' community detention, which he said the defendant would probably consider ``a soft option''.
``Total minimisation, no acceptance of your dishonesty, no motivation for rehabilitation and no remorse,'' Judge Phillips said.
He ordered Perawiti repay the $8272 she stole at $40 a week.
At that rate, the debt would be cleared within four years.
