A SOUTH East man who stole a woman’s purse from a gaming room at a hotel in Millicent has been fined for the offending.
David Alan Campbell appeared in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court last week to be sentenced for theft.
The prosecution said the victim was playing the pokies at the Sportman’s Hotel at around 4.30pm on May 23.
The woman won $499 on the pokies and at 7.50pm when she went to leave, she realised she had lost her purse.
She advised the gaming manager who reviewed security camera footage.
The footage showed Campbell grabbing the purse from next to a pokie machine and placing it down his pants.
The purse contained around $350 and other cards.
Police became involved after notification from the gaming manager.
Campbell returned home and took the cash from the wallet before burning the purse in his fire.
The defendant then returned to the hotel later in the evening and was interviewed by police.
He said he noticed the purse on the floor and had no explanation for why he did not hand it in.
“He made full and frank admissions to police,” the defendant’s lawyer said.
“There is no excuse, he does not know why he did it.”
The court heard the money was retrieved from the defendant.
Magistrate Teresa Anderson said the incident was not a rare occurrence and the community needed to be deterred.
“This is dishonest offending which actually does occur quite a bit – it is not rare,” Magistrate Anderson said.
Magistrate Anderson said she accepted it was a “spur of the moment” decision by the defendant to steal the purse.
Campbell was convicted and fined $200 for the offending.
He was also ordered to pay $10 compensation for destroying the purse.
