Vic: Six months' jail for pokie addict who stole from cemetery

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2007
Vic: Six months' jail for pokie addict who stole from cemetery

MELBOURNE, Dec 6 AAP - A poker machine addict who stole more than $95,000 from the
cemetery where she worked to fund her addiction has been sentenced to two-and-a-half year's
jail.

But payroll officer Marlene Patricia Jack, 55, will only serve six months after County
Court judge Roland Williams today suspended two years of her sentence.

The judge said she had shown shame and remorse and had cooperated with authorities
and had pleaded guilty.

Jack stole the money from the Fawkner Cemetery payroll in 127 transactions between
August 2003 and June 2005.

She had gone to her employer and admitted her crimes in fear of being picked up in
an audit by the state government.

Handing down his sentence, Judge Williams said there had been mitigating circumstances
that included Jack seeking help from Gamblers Anonymous as well as addressing an audience
on the evils of gambling.

But the judge said that a revelation that Jack had gone to a poker machine just three
weeks ago where she spent $20 but had not told her counsellor, showed a sign of dishonesty.

"I have to conclude your honesty is in question and the extent of your rehabilitation
is not clear," the judge told Jack.

AAP jxt/szp/gfr/jt/bwl

KEYWORD: JACK

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