Rennai Fernando, 43, pleads guilty to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception

Rennai Elizabeth Fernando, 43, of Baird Drive, Dubbo pleaded guilty to eight counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception and two counts of fail to appear in accordance with bail acknowledgement in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

Court documents state on Monday, June 12 a victim had their car broken into and their wallet containing their licence, Westpac credit and mastercard, medicare card, and $20 stolen.

Around 5am that day, the victim received seven notifications on his phone of unauthorised transactions from his mastercard.

When he went to check his car he saw the passenger door wide open and the car rummaged through and his wallet stolen from the glove box.

Three of the unauthorised transactions were made online, buying $30 worth of Telstra pre-paid on three separate transactions.

Three more transactions were made to purchase items from the BP on Whylandra Street.

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Captured on CCTV around 2.10am, Fernando was seen with two unknown young people at the night window purchasing two packets of cigarettes before leaving together. It came to a total of $65.90.

The two unknown young people then entered Coles Express on Whylandra Street around 2.15am and used the victim's card to buy two bottles of coke, bread, milk, one meat pie, two sausage rolls, two packets of chips, a packet of lollies and a reusable bag, totalling $44.75.

The two young people met up with Fernando again at the BP on Whylandra Street at 2.20am.

The court documents say Fernando goes on to make two separate purchases with the victim's mastercard.

One purchase includes a bottle of coke, a packet of chips, a sausage roll and two packets of cigarettes totalling $81.40.

Fernando then buys a $10 Telstra prepay and a $10 Vodafone prepay.

She then leaves with the two young people.

Police attend the two petrol stations to get CCTV of Fernando using the victim's card to make several purchases.

On Tuesday, June 20 around 1.10am a different victim locked her front door before going to bed, court documents state.

Around 7am the same day, a family member noticed the front door was wide open and appeared to be damaged.

The victim walked into the lounge room and couldn't find her handbag which contained her Commonwealth Bank debit and credit cards, sunglasses and air-pods.

The victim logged into her Commbank app and saw she had an unauthorised transaction of $82.70 from the BP petrol station on Whylandra Street at 2.24am on Tuesday, June 20.

The victim contacted the police to report the matter.

The police evidence states around 3pm on June 21, the police attended the BP Service Station and obtained CCTV that shows Fernando approaching the outside window and buying a bottle of coke, two packets of chips and two packets of cigarettes.

Fernando pays with the victim's debit card before leaving.

On Monday, July 3, police go to Fernando's house and place her under arrest.

Aboriginal Legal Service solicitor Tijana Hollis said Fernando was remorseful for what she did.

"She feels extremely bad, she wasn't thinking and feels terrible and wouldn't want people to do it to her," she said.

Magistrate Garry Wilson convicted and sentenced Fernando to a 12 month community corrections order.

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