Kāpiti woman who stole from employer gets community detention: reports

Sally Anne Robertson, a Kāpiti woman who stole over $300,000 from her employer due to a gambling addiction, has avoided a prison sentence after pleading guilty to theft, according to reports.

In a decision delivered at the Hutt Valley District Court, Robertson was instead sentenced to five months of community detention with a daily curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., the New Zealand Herald reported.

The 59-year-old, who pleaded guilty to one charge of theft by a person in a special relationship, earlier admitted to stealing nearly $317,000 from her employer, SBA Civil Ltd, where she worked in an administrative role from August 2022 to October 2023.

Robertson's crime was uncovered when a supplier of SBA Civil Ltd noticed an irregularity in a payment made in September 2023, the New Zealand Herald reported. The investigation revealed that instead of sending the payment to the supplier, Robertson had transferred the funds to her own bank account. Further investigation revealed 37 other transactions in which money was sent directly to Robertson's accounts.

In total, Robertson stole $316,995, an amount she has since repaid in full, including interest and legal fees, following a civil court case.

Avoiding prison sentence

Judge Tania Warburton noted the significant amount of money involved, but emphasised the broader context of Robertson's actions.

"Your offending was bad, but I want to stress to you that you are not a bad person," Warburton said as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.

During the hearing, the defence argued that a community detention sentence would be more appropriate than a prison term, citing Robertson's remorse and her active employment at the time of sentencing.

"This case, if any, highlights the reasons for judicial discretion in sentencing because of the range of circumstances that can come before the court," Robertson's lawyer stated.

He explained that the theft was not committed to fund a "luxury lifestyle," but rather was the result of "unrelenting pressure" and Robertson's gambling addiction.

The lawyer emphasised that Robertson's actions stemmed from the "grip of addiction," a result of severe personal strain, including caring for her sick father, mother, and sister.

"She found herself, unfortunately, in the grip of addiction that led to the offending," he said.

In response, the police prosecutor agreed that community detention was a suitable alternative to imprisonment.

The prosecutor also acknowledged that Robertson had fully repaid the stolen money and was in active employment.

After hearing the sentence, Robertson broke down in tears and collapsed into her husband's arms, the New Zealand Herald reported.