A Dunedin woman stole $10,000 from her mother in what she called a "screw-you situation", a court has heard.
Melanie Ophelia Morahan, 49, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to one charge of theft.
The court heard that between March 29 and April 7 Morahan was living in Mosgiel with her mother after she became homeless.
Morahan took $10,000 in total.
Counsel Andrew Dawson said his client’s relationship with her mother was "strained" and "complicated".
"She knows she shouldn’t have acted in this way," Mr Dawson said.
Morahan claimed she took the money because she was frustrated her mother was not helping the defendant’s very ill sister.
She said she was "furious" about how her mother had treated others and said the theft was a "screw-you situation".
But Morahan said she spent the money at the casino and on nice food for her children.
She did not give any of the cash to her sister and admitted she had "wasted" it, the court heard.
Judge Jim Large called the offending "despicable".
"To take cash from your mother at a time when she was giving you accommodation when you were homeless is pretty low," the judge said.
"You may have issues with your mother ... but that [does] not in any way justify or excuse your taking of her money."
Six thousand dollars was seized by police and will be returned to the victim.
Morahan was ordered to repay the remaining $4000 at a rate of $10 a week, which would take eight years.
Judge Large sentenced the defendant to three months’ community detention and 12 months’ intensive supervision.
